(Radio Iowa) – Republican Senator Chuck Grassley says congress likely cannot ban private companies from requiring Covid vaccinations among employees. Grassley cites the lawsuit challenging a vaccine mandate for staff at a Houston hospital that was dismissed in June. The federal judge said the hospital was making a choice to keep staff, patients and their families safer. “I imagine you’re going to have more employers, both hospital as well as other private employers, mandate it now that FDA has given permanent approval to some of the vaccines,” Grassley says.

Earlier this week, a California senator said she’s looking into how the federal government can encourage more Americans to get vaccinated. Grassley says he’d oppose any mandate. “I would not want to vote to make vaccinations mandatory,” Grassley says.  Grassley, who is 87, tested positive for Covid last November, but the senator says he did not suffer from any of the symptoms of the virus. Grassley was vaccinated earlier this year and has encouraged Iowans to get the shot, calling it the only way to we’ll beat the virus and get back our way of life.