Sunday shows preview: Biden issues new vaccine mandates; House committee marks up $3.5T reconciliation bill

President Biden’s new coronavirus vaccine mandates and progress on the $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill are expected to dominate this week’s Sunday’s talk shows. 

On Thursday, Biden laid out a six-step plan to combat the recent surge in coronavirus infections fueled by the delta variant.

As part of that plan, the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration will issue an emergency rule requiring all private employers with at least 100 employees to mandate vaccines or weekly testing. Federal employees will have 75 days to be fully vaccinated, with limited exemptions for religious or medical reasons.

Biden was immediately hit with backlash from Republicans lawmakers, and several GOP governors said they will challenge the measure. The Republican National Committee (RNC) also said it intends to sue over the mandate.

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) said that while he supported efforts to increase vaccination rates, “federal government mandates on private businesses are not the right answer.” Hutchinson will appear on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths have risen following a declining trend in cases seen in late spring, early summer this year. 

But as America seeks to get through the pandemic, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said that success with the pandemic does not mean there would be no coronavirus cases.

“It is really important that we convey that success does not equal no cases,” Murthy told Politico. “Success looks like very few people in the hospital and very few dying.”

Murthy will appear on ABC’s “This Week” and CNN’s “State of the Union”

Also this week, the House Ways and Means committee marked up Democrats’ $3.5 trillion reconciliation package.

During Thursday’s session, the committee approved portions of the bill on paid family leave, retirement savings and child care. On Friday, the panel approved sections on Medicare expansion, nursing home reforms and trade.

House Democrats are largely pushing through despite opposition from key moderate Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) who called for a “pause” on reconciliation earlier this week. Manchin said he would not support a $3.5 trillion plan, posing obstacles to the party’s ability to remain united on the issue.

But Senate Budget Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) pushed back, telling The New York Times that progress couldn’t be slowed on the measure.

Manchin and Sanders will appear on “This Week” and “State of the Union.” Manchin will also appear on “Meet the Press.”

Below are the full list of guests scheduled to appear on this week’s Sunday talk shows.

ABC’s “This Week” — U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy; Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va.

NBC’s “Meet the Press” — Manchin; Gov. Asa Hutchinson, R-Ark.

CBS’s “Face the Nation” — Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill.; Alberto Carvalho, school superintendent in Miami-Dade County, Florida; Dr. James Versalovic, pathologist in chief, Texas Children’s Hospital.

CNN’s “State of the Union” — Murthy, Sanders, Manchin.

“Fox News Sunday” — Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer; Gov. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb.

Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures” —Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.), Committee On Armed Services; Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) Committee On Armed Services; Lt. Col. Oliver North; Herschel Walker, Georgia Senate Candidate; Dick Grasso, Former Chairman & CEO Of The NYSE