Democrat Senators Joe Manchin (WV) and Jon Tester (MT) crossed the aisle Wednesday evening to help Republicans pass a bill repealing Joe Biden’s COVID vaccine mandate for private business. The 52-48 vote on the bill sponsored by Senator Mike Braun (R-IN) was brought to the Senate floor via the Congressional Review Act, which allows the Senate to review presidential orders.

The bill now heads to the Democrat-controlled House where Nancy Pelosi is almost certain to kill it. Even if it were to be passed by the House, the White House made it clear that Biden would veto the legislation.

So, was this an act of futility on the part of Senate Republicans? Far from it — it served to put Democrats on the record going into an election year where they are facing a severe uphill battle to retain control of Congress. That two Democrats peeled off to join Republicans is also an indicator of just how unpopular Biden’s vaccine mandate is.

Prior to the vote, Republican senators gave the strong argument that this vote was not about being anti-science or anti-vaccine, as Democrats have spuriously insisted. Rather, it has everything to do with defending Americans’ rights and freedom.

“It’s got Main Street America scared,” Braun contended. “They’re worried about, well, what does this mean on other issues? Anybody who thinks this is a good idea, imagine the next time it happens when you’re on the wrong side on whatever the merits of the case would be.”

Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) similarly argued: “It’s daunting to families as they’re facing higher bills for their gas and their heating. They are very concerned about what this would do to their long-term ability to get a job, keep a job. I think they realize that this is an invasion into their own abilities to make decisions about themselves in their healthcare.”

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer ridiculously claimed that Republicans objecting to Biden’s mandate were “anti-vaxxers.” He mockingly said, “[They] remind me of what happened 400 years ago when people were clinging to the fact that the sun revolved around the Earth. They just didn’t believe science. Or 500 years ago when they were sure the Earth was flat.” This isn’t about science; it’s about power.

Indeed, making it clear that the crux of the issue is objection to Biden’s overreach against Americans’ individual freedom and not objection to the COVID vaccines, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell stated, “I’ve encouraged Kentuckians and all Americans to take full advantage.” He added: “I’ve recorded public service announcements, I am a survivor of childhood polio, I’ve watched vaccines obliterate polio in our country in my entire lifetime. Trust me, there is no bigger proponent of vaccination than I am. But here’s the thing. The United States of America is a free country. The federal government, elites in Washington, cannot micromanage citizens’ personal choices without a legitimate basis in law and the Constitution. And that goes double for presidents going far beyond the bounds of their office and their authority.”

McConnell then hung Biden’s vaccine mandate around Democrats’ necks. “Washington Democrats have lashed themselves to a mast that is very simple: Unvaccinated people should be fired,” he said. “That’s what they want? They don’t trust individuals, families, doctors, employers, and customers to sort things out for themselves? They want every worker at a medium-sized business to either get the shot or get fired by President Biden. And buried in the illegal mandate is a call to explore whether it should expand to all businesses. This is not how things work in our country, period.”

Significantly, some employment numbers from October indicate that millions of Americans may be deciding to avoid submitting to Biden’s vaccine mandate. Some 4.2 million workers quit their jobs, nearly setting another record and continuing a seven-month trend. In 2021, some 38 million workers have quit their jobs in what some are terming the “Great Resignation.” Biden’s mandate began only in September, but how much of a role has it played into people’s decisions to leave jobs in the last three months?

Finally, Biden opened a first-ever White House Summit for Democracy today wherein he lamented diminishing freedom around the world. “The data we’re seeing,” he said, “is largely pointing in the wrong direction.” Well, Biden may want to look in the mirror, as this diminishment of freedom has much to do with hypocrites like himself handing down authoritarian diktats such as his COVID vaccine mandate.