Biden meets with CEOs and business leaders about COVID-19 vaccine mandate

President Biden is meeting with CEOs and other business leaders at the White House on Wednesday, days after he announced companies with at least 100 employees will need to require COVID-19 vaccinations or regular testing for employees. 

Arizona became the first state to sue over the mandate this week, although the Department of Labor has yet to create the rule mandating the vaccine. How the sweeping vaccine mandate will hold up in court remains to be seen. 

 The new vaccine mandate on many businesses is expected to cover 80 million Americans. CEOs and presidents of Disney, Microsoft, Walgreens, Kaiser Permanente Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and other leaders are participating in the meeting. The president said the mandate is about saving lives. 

"And here's what Wall Street had to say recently. Goldman Sachs: Vaccinations will have a positive impact on employment, which means less threat of COVID, which will help people return to work for unity," he said. 

Businesses that fail to comply could face fines of up to $13,600 per violation. When he announced the new vaccine mandates last week, the president spoke directly to the unvaccinated. 

"What more is there to wait for? What more do you need to see?" the president said at the time. "We've made vaccinations free, safe and convenient. The vaccine has FDA approval. Over 200 million Americans have gotten at least one shot. We've been patient. But our patience is wearing thin. And your refusal has cost all of us. So please, do the right thing."