Who is Stan Baker? Federal judge rings death knell for Joe Biden's vaccine mandate
President Joe Biden was dealt another stinging blow to his vaccination campaign on December 7, after a federal judge in Georgia blocked his last remaining mandate. The ruling puts Biden's mandate for federal contractors on hold after a successful argument by several GOP-led states likes South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Idaho, and others. "Abuse of power by the Biden administration has been stopped cold again," celebrated South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson.
With the emergence of Omicron, the Biden administration is attempting to get all Americans fully vaccinated, including with boosters to prevent a spike in cases over the holidays, but not everyone is on board. In late November, the Californian city of Oroville declared itself a "constitutional republic", to avoid enforcing the state's mandates. There's also some confusion on the fate of military members who refuse to get jabbed, with the deadline for doing so fast approaching.
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So far, federal judges have blocked Biden's mandate for healthcare workers, and private companies with over 100 staff members. The federal workers' mandate was the last-standing one that the administration had, but it now seems they'll have to find a new way around. It's not just a big blow to the administration, but also the country, which has been averaging over 1,000 deaths since December 1.
Who is Stan Baker?
A native of St Simmons Island, Raymond Stan Baker currently serves on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia, a role he was appointed to by Donald Trump in 2017. Before taking on that role, he served as a federal magistrate judge at the same court from 2015 to 2018, in the Brunswick division. He now sits in the Savannah division. Before public service, Baker was in private practice in Georgia since 2006, after a two-year stint as the law clerk for Judge William T. Moore Jr.
Baker earned his bachelor's degree from Davidson College in 1999 and his J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of Georgia School of Law in 2004. Beyond that, little is known about Baker, who appears to maintain a low profile. He doesn't have a presence on social media, nor has he appeared in the news before for any major stories. Therefore there's not much else to know about him at the moment.
'The President exceeded authorization'
Baker's order was filed on December 7, after hearing oral arguments in the case on December 3. The case was brought by South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson and Gov. Henry McMaster, along with the Governors and AG's of other GOP-led states. They called the federal vaccine mandate unconstitutional because it violates the 10th Amendment, the federal Procurement Act, the Administrative Procedures Act, and the federal Spending Clause.
Baker appeared to agree with them, noting in his ruling, "Plaintiffs will likely succeed in their claim that the President exceeded the authorization given to him by Congress." He, therefore, issued a nationwide injunction against the mandate, adding that the mandate would "significantly alter their ability to perform federal contract." While the Department of Justice has not commented on the ruling, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the administration would "vigorously defend this in court."