Texas congressmen push Gov. Abbott to defy Biden vaccine mandates

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Chip Roy pushing back on House mask mandates: ‘This is a line in the sand’

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, on challenging updated mask guidance by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

FIRST ON FOX: A group of Republican Texas congressmen is pushing Governor Greg Abbott to defy President Biden’s newly-announced vaccine mandates.

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, penned a letter with nine of his Texas delegation colleagues to the Lone Star State governor calling on Abbott to "take all steps necessary" to block Biden’s vaccine mandate.

Abbott signed an executive order into law  Aug. 25 prohibiting vaccine mandates in Texas and has pledged to push back on Biden's new actions. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has also pledged to sue the Biden administration over the mandates.

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"We encourage you to utilize all powers vested in you as Governor of Texas and all tools at your disposal to ensure that the federal government does not penalize, arrest, fine, coerce, or otherwise harm any Texan – or shut down any Texas business from operating – due to these COVID-19-related mandates," the lawmakers wrote in the letter exclusively obtained by Fox News.

"Specifically, Texas DPS and all other law enforcement entities or regulators in the state over which you exercise control should be instructed to 1) specifically refuse cooperation with any federal official attempting to enforce such mandates, and 2) take any steps possible to stop any federal official from taking action against a Texan related to enforcement of such mandates," they continued.

"We stand with you and are ready to work together as leaders of the people of this great state to ensure they can exercise their rights as Texans to carry out their livelihoods and otherwise pursue happiness consistent with the 9th and 10th Amendments to the United States Constitution," the letter concludes.

Joining Roy on the letter are nine of his Texas Republican colleagues: Reps. Randy Weber, Van Taylor, John Carter, Michael Cloud, Brian Babin, Ronny Jackson, August Pfluger, Roger Williams and Pete Sessions.

Biden said he was "disappointed" at the news that Republican governors are pushing back against his OSHA-rule vaccine mandate.

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"I am so disappointed," Biden said Friday during a visit to the Brookland Middle School after he told a reporter to "have at it" regarding a question about Republicans who have pushed back on his six-point coronavirus plan. "Particularly, some Republican governors have been so cavalier, with the health of these kids. So cavalier with the health of our communities."

Abbott also tweeted on Thursday that the Lone Star State was "already working to halt this power grab."

"The federal government needs to stop trying to run private businesses," Abbott spokeswoman Renae Eze told local Houston outlet ABC 13 Eyewitness News on Thursday.

"Texans and Americans alike have learned and mastered the safe practices to protect themselves and their loved ones from COVID and do not need the government to tell them how to do so," Eze added.

Houston Keene is a reporter for Fox News Digital. You can find him on Twitter at @HoustonKeene.