September 11, 2022 (Falls Church, VA) Twenty-one years later, the morning of September 11 is engrained in most of our memories as if it just took place.

Chiropractors Volunteered As Long as the Tents Stayed Up

The attacks on the Twin Towers in New York City and the Pentagon in Northern Virginia are among the most horrific attacks in history. As grim and horrific of the images of the World Trade Center buildings on fire and falling and the Pentagon on fire, there are images of good that developed over the days and weeks that followed. The mirror images of the horrors of this time are those in our community of doctors of chiropractic – ICA members and others pulling together, volunteering for weeks on end to give chiropractic care to recovery workers at both the Pentagon and the World Trade Center site.

ICA’s Dr. Coralee Van Egmond Spent a Month at the Pentagon with others like former ICA Board member, Dr. Donald Hirsh of Maryland.

Our Doctors Served in New York City to Help the Ground Zero Recovery Workers

The Pentagon Memorial – https://www.pentagonmemorial.org/

The Flight 93 National Memorial at Shanksville, Pennsylvania Memorial – https://www.nps.gov/flni/index.htm

National September 11 Memorial & Museum – https://www.911memorial.org/

Please take a few minutes today to reflect on the events of 9-11-2001 and the acts of service and sacrifice of so many in the days, weeks, and years that followed. Thank you to all who served from the chiropractic community and those who served and serve in uniform as first responders and as members of the military.

January 21, 2022 (Falls Church, VA) Today, Federal Judge Jeffrey Brown issued an order that blocks the enforcement of a COVID Vaccine Mandate on federal employees. Judge Brown had issued an opinion in September indicated that President Biden had exceeded his authority related when issuing an Executive Order that required federal employees consent to vaccination against COVID-19 or lose their jobs. This injunction summarizes the question at hand:

“The court notes at the outset that this case is not about whether folks should get vaccinated against COVID-19…It is instead about whether the President can, with the stroke of a pen and without the input of Congress, require millions of federal employees to undergo a medical procedure as a condition of their employment. That, under the current state of the law as just recently expressed by the Supreme Court, is a bridge too far…”

This is an example of the the branches of government providing the intended checks and balances envisioned by the Founding Fathers and embodied in the US Constitution.

January 13, 2022 3:00 pm (Falls Church, VA) Mid-afternoon today, the Supreme Court blocked the Biden Administration’s vaccine and testing mandate for large employers, while allowing a separate vaccination mandate for employees for healthcare facilities that receive Medicare and Medicaid funding.

The first ruling official statement in the docket is: Nat. Fed’n of Indep. Bus. v. Dept. of Labor (21A244) and
Ohio v. Dept. of Labor (21A247) consolidated

The applications for stays (21A244 & 21A247) presented to JUSTICE KAVANAUGH and by him referred to the Court are granted. OSHA’s COVID–19 Vaccination and Testing; Emergency Temporary Standard, 86 Fed. Reg. 61402, is stayed pending disposition of the applicants’ petitions for review in the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and disposition of the applicants’ petitions for writs of certiorari, if such writs are timely sought. Should the petitions for writs of certiorari be denied, this order shall terminate automatically. In the event the petitions for writs of certiorari are granted, the order shall terminate upon the sending down of the judgment of this Court. VIDED.

The second official statement in the docket is: Biden v. Missouri (21A240) and Becerra v. Louisiana (21A241) consolidated

The applications for stay presented to JUSTICE ALITO (21A241) and JUSTICE KAVANAUGH (21A240) and by them referred to the Court are granted. The District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri’s November 29, 2021, order granting a preliminary injunction is stayed pending disposition of the Government’s appeal in the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and the disposition of the Government’s petition for a writ of certiorari, if such writ is timely sought. Should the petition for a writ of certiorari be denied, this order shall terminate automatically. In the event the petition for a writ of certiorari is granted, the order shall terminate upon the sending down of the judgment of this Court. The District Court for the Western District of Louisiana’s November 30, 2021, order granting a preliminary injunction is stayed pending disposition of the Government’s appeal in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and the disposition of the Government’s petition for a writ of certiorari, if such writ is timely sought. Should the petition for a writ of certiorari be denied, this order shall terminate automatically. In the event the petition for a writ of certiorari is granted, the order shall terminate upon the sending down of the judgment of this Court. VIDED.

Stay tuned for updates.

The consolidated cases include two sets of cases. The first is Biden v. Missouri and Becerra v. Louisiana, which concerns the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ vaccine mandate covering healthcare workers at certain facilities. The second is National Federation of Independent Business v. OSHA and Ohio v. OSHA, which concerns the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Emergency Temporary Standard for employers with 100 or more employees.

The two mandates have faced legal hurdles and multiple challenges from stakeholders over the last few months. A federal judge placed a nationwide injunction on the CMS mandate, but the scope of the injunction was later limited to specific states by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Meanwhile, a stay on OSHA’s ETS was recently lifted by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Hearing oral arguments is important to give the court the opportunity to ask questions while also retaining the emergency status of the application to consolidate.

The Federal Judiciary has a long standing policy not to allow cameras in hearings. The courts have allowed live streaming and audio recording of the oral arguments. The links to the audio files and the transcripts are available at:

Nat. Fed’n of Indep. Bus. v. Dept. of Labor
Docket Number: 21A244
Date Argued: 01/07/22

https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2021/21A244

and

Biden v. Missouri
Docket Number: 21A240
Date Argued: 01/07/22

https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2021/21A240

Many were shocked when multiple justices provided statistics about COVID hospitalizations that we vastly overstated.

According to multiple news outlets (and the best evidence available), the following 3 justices provided inaccurate information in their comments and questions:

Justice Kagan provided at the outset of the hearing “the best way” to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is “for people to get vaccinated,” and the “second best way” is to “wear masks.” The health experts agree that there is absolutely no evidence that the COVID shots prevent transmission including against the Omicron variant. In fact, the former FDA Commissioner, Dr. Scott Gotlieb provided last week: “Cloth masks aren’t going to provide a lot of protection. That’s the bottom line. This is an airborne illness. We now understand that, and a cloth mask is not going to protect you from a virus that spreads through airborne transmission. It could protect better through droplet transmission, something like the flu, but not something like this coronavirus.”

Justice Breyer exaggerated the number of individuals in the United States who tested positive by at least 100 fold. In a country of 330 million, the Justice claimed that 750 million people tested positive for COVID-19 the day before. More likely than not, he intended to say 750,000. He also commented that a mandate would bring the number of daily cases down to zero. This comment is not an evidence-based comment as adults who are fully vaccinated and boosted are testing positive for COVID-19 at similar rates as unvaccinated adults.

Justice Sotomayor commented that the omicron variant was just ad deadly as the delta variant. This statement contradicts the experts. She then went on to state that more than 100,000 children have been hospitalized by COVID-19, with “many” on ventilators. This statement is a gross exaggeration of the facts. Official data shows that just over 3,300 children are hospitalized with COVID – many for other reasons but who tested positive at the hospitalized.

None of these individuals have issued a statement correcting the transcript.

Justice Gorsuch mis-spoke during the hearing but issued a correction. His comment as heard was, “We have flu vaccines. The flu kills, I believe, hundreds of thousands of people every year.” and was corrected in the transcript to reflect his intended comments, ““The flu kills, I believe, hundreds, thousands of people every year” According to the CDC, between annually between 12,000 and 52,000 deaths are attributed to the flu.

Why Do These Uncorrected Factually Inaccurate Statements Matter? The transcript of a court hearing is incredibly important not just for the current events at question, but for the future. A century from now will anyone realize that these 3 justices made factually inaccurate comments? It also raises a second and equally concerning issue – and that is if the staff who prepared briefings and comments for the justices provided inaccurate information to the justices to influence their opinions. This is something that likely will come out in the weeks and months ahead.

As soon as the courts issue their ruling the ICA will update our information.

The ICA has updated our tracking of mandates by jurisdiction. That information is available at: https://www.chiropractic.org/covid/covid-mandates-global/

“…the petitioners’ motion for a stay pending review is GRANTED. Enforcement of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s “COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing; Emergency Temporary Standard remains STAYED pending adequate judicial review of the petitioners’ underlying motions for a permanent injunction.

In addition, IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that OSHA take no steps to implement or enforce the Mandate until further court order.”

To read the full statement, follow this link: https://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub/21/21-60845-CV0.pdf

There are many who have already been forced into vaccinating against their will; the military mandate continues to be a matter up for consideration, with at least one governor saying he will not enforce it for the National Guard. We continue to educate on the matter and to advocate for the protection of the inalienable human right of health freedom of health care decisions.

Internationally the News is Not As Good

Austria was headline news this weekend – The Chancellor ordered a nationwide lockdown Austria of those over 12 years of age not vaccinated and not having already had COVID-19. The lockdown is set to last at least 10 days.

“Show Me Your Papers ” Spot checks Taking Place. Media reports that the Australian police forces are conducted ‘routine checks’

Over the weekend, thousands gathered and protested in cities across the countries.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/nov/15/austrian-police-carry-out-routine-checks-unvaccinated-enter-lockdown-covid

https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/14/europe/austria-lockdown-unvaccinated-intl/index.html

Meanwhile in Australia: Greater Katherine region to go into snap lockdown from 6pm

The greater Katherine region will go into lockdown from 6pm local time tonight, Northern Territory chief minister Michael Gunner said.

Overnight, the following was announced: We are declaring a 72-hour lockdown for greater Katherine. This means you are only allowed to leave home for one of the five reasons; you have done this before, you have smashed it before, I know you will smash it again.

The five reasons are: medical treatment, including getting a Covid test and getting vaccinated; for essential goods and services like groceries and medicines; for work that is considered essential and can’t be done at home; for one hour of exercise a day with one person you live with and no further than five kilometres from your home; and to provide care to a family member, including separated families.

Changes to South Australia quarantine and border restrictions

Earlier today, South Australian premier Steven Marshall outlined changes to quarantine and border restrictions from next week. In good news for separated families and state residents stuck outside, fully vaccinated people from New South Wales, Victoria and the ACT will be able to cross into the state from November 23.

And state residents will be able to leave the state without having to quarantine on the way back. We know this is going to be a huge relief for families, for businesses,” Marshall said. “Those state borders have been extraordinarily punishing.”

https://www.pm.gov.au/media/national-cabinet-statement-051121

https://covid19inlanguage.homeaffairs.gov.au/health

Germany Considering a Partial Mandate

A coalition have proposed that anyone using buses or trains must provide proof of a negative test, vaccination or full recovery from Covid. They proposed similar restrictions in the workplace. This is being called a proposed lockdown for the unvaccinated by some. https://www.ft.com/content/55d6d53e-616e-455c-ab00-f1ec33fdce0

Meanwhile in Manitoba – Unvaccinated Children Must be Tested to Play Indoor Sports

Manitoba’s latest set of pandemic rules mean kids 12 to 17 will soon have to be vaccinated or regularly tested for COVID-19 to play indoor sports like hockey. Hospitals are also canceling surgeries and new rules limiting religious and Indigenous Cultural gatherings in the Southern Health region to 25 people begin on Saturday for 25 percent capacity of a larger space. The limits do not apply if proof of vaccination is required.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/mantoba-covid-19-update-november-12-2021-1.6246764

ICA will continue to keep you updated.

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We regret the errors in reporting Australia rather than Austria – this page has been updated as of 6:15 pm to correct the error.

ICA was engaged through the entire process. Our Representative Assembly member from Illinois, Dr. Brandt Hulsebus notified the home office as soon as the amendment was announced. In the span of 24 hours, we drafted and submitted testimony and reached out to members of the Illinois House. We submitted written testimony, made it available publicly, engaged with our colleagues across the profession, and observed the Executive Committee hearing , engaging with legislators and the public in real time to provide facts that mattered to the discussion. You can read the testimony by clicking here. With more than 49,700 people filling out witness slips in the House Executive Committee in opposition and only 700 in support, the party line vote moved the bill to the House floor. We then stayed on watch and worked the telephone to stop its forward motion in the House.

It was obvious that the majority party were in lock step wtih the Governor’s request to get this exception to the law. ICA did not give up, even knowing it was a steep hill to climb. When the House voted Wednesday night to pass SB1169 with the amendment regarding the Health Care Right of Conscience Act, we stayed engaged.

While legislators and legal representatives of the state government attempted to portray this amendment as a ‘clarification’ to the Health Care Conscience Act, (read here), it is not, it is a change to the law that provides an exception (a carveout) for all actionable violations to the law when they related to COVID.

One of our sources suggested that the Senate might not even hear the bill as it was not included in the docket published that morning and it was the last day of session. We did not stand down, we stayed engaged and starting calling our colleagues in the Senate. We got the call as soon as it was announced the bill would be added to the docket. Initially because of the super majority of the majority party, the word was it was going straight to the Senate floor. However, the outrage of now following procedure and the need to have the public weigh in led to the bill going through a hearing in the Senate Executive Committee. ICA Submitted written testimony (read here) to this hearing as well. Senators on the Committee heard testimony for instance from a teachers’ assistant who worked throughout the pandemic with children with special needs had her request for accommodation with a religious exemption rejected by her school district and was fired a week ago. In a span of just a handful of hours over 20,000 people filled out witness slips in opposition and less than 200 supported. Again, a party line vote sent the bill with the amendment to the Senate Floor. Dr. Hulsebus, and both the ICA Executive Director, and Dr. Selina Sigafoose Jackson, our President started calling Senators. Every Senator’s office got a telephone call. We stayed in touch with our members and other contacts in the state and many of them engaged as well.

Last night about 8:00 pm, the Senate began voting on all of the bills they wanted to pass before the session ended. It was very late in the evening when SB1169 was passed including the amendment we opposed. One news outlet provided the following report: “

The Illinois House voted 64-52 on Wednesday night to alter the Health Care Right of Conscience Act to shield employers from civil suits if they enforce Coronavirus vaccine or testing mandates.

The Senate could send the measure to Governor J.B. Pritzker’s desk on Thursday. Attorney General Kwame Raoul (D-Illinois), who represents school districts and state agencies against lawsuits in court, was seen speaking with representatives moments before the debate began.

Several Republicans opposed the changes, arguing individuals should have rights to make health care decisions for themselves without being coerced by their employers.

The bill won’t take effect until June 1, 2022, but could still influence pending court cases.”

https://www.wcia.com/illinois-capitol-news/illinois-house-alters-health-care-right-of-conscience-act-to-shield-employers-from-discrimination-suits/

What now? Obviously, it is frustrating that this carve out went forward. We will stay engaged, working with our members in every state, every province, every country to protect and promote chiropractic; and to stand up for the rights of all for health freedom. There is a saying that there are things you never want to watch being made – sausage and legislation….this week in Illinois is a prime example of political agenda trumping the will of the citizenry. We will not give up doing the right thing for the right reasons.

We take cues from one of the greatest leaders to come from Illinois:

The fight must go on. The cause of civil liberty must not be surrendered at the end of one, or even one hundred defeats

-President Abraham Lincoln in a letter to Henry Asbury in 1858

October 28, 2021 (Falls Church, VA) 1:30 pm – A hearing is taking place this afternoon. We have submitted testimony.

Morning Update: We received a call late this morning from an Illinois Senate office that the House version of SB 1169 including the amendment regarding an exception to the Health Care Right of Conscience Law to shut down the lawsuits regarding COVID-19 was going straight to the Senate floor without the usual procedures of going back to committee, opening a witness slip up for the public to have the chance to register their opinions, and instead it will be voted on this afternoon after the redistricting hearing is finished unless there are some backroom negotiations to shut it down.

October 27, 2021 (Falls Church) Tonight the Illinois House voted 64-52 on Wednesday night to alter the Health Care Right of Conscience Act to shield employers from civil suits if they enforce Coronavirus vaccine or testing mandates.

The goes back to the Illinois Senate, who must act on Thursday the last day of the session if it is to be come law this year. There is strong opposition both from the public and certain members of the legislature. ICA is continuing to engage to see this exception to the Health Care Right of Conscience Act not become law.

October 26, 2021 (Falls Church, VA) Today the ICA provided written testimony to the Illinois House of Representatives Executive Committee hearing scheduled to take place today at 3:30. Illinois State Representative Robyn Gabel has filed an amendment to the Health Care Right of Conscience Act, which will provide an exception to the law for COVID.

This amendment is not about vaccines, it is about using a bill that passed the Illinois Senate regarding transition services for students with disabilities to insert an exception to the health care right of conscience law which forbids anyone from forcing you to take, recommend, or provide a health care procedures you morally are opposed to.

This is being sought because a legal challenge to vaccine mandates being tied to employment due to a likely violation of the law. The law iteself, the amendment, and our response are linked below.

To learn more about what the ICA is doing to support your health freedom, please visit our Health Freedom Page at https://www.chiropractic.org/advocacy/health-freedom/ and consider a donation to our Health Freedom Fund.

Media Contact: Beth Clay, Executive Director bclay@chiropractic.org

International Chiropractors Association Affirms Policy on Health Freedom

12 October 2021, (Falls Church, VA):  In Fall 2021, we find ourselves in situations that are not aligned with the inalienable human rights of health freedom, freedom of movement, and freedom of speech. Parents with legitimate grievances are being labeled as domestic terrorists, factual data is being reported as misinformation, access to public venues is being severely restricted, and even job security is being threatened by Draconian mandates not supported by science. 

In a world of public health that promotes evidence-based decision making, we see the importance of natural immunity being ignored and replaced with a totalitarian approach of compulsory vaccination.  At a time when the Surgeon General says misinformation has become an urgent threat to public health, misinformation is now being used in an attempt to discredit the chiropractic profession, the International Chiropractors Association, and all chiropractic patients who desire to focus on improving health naturally. After enduring 18 months of shutdowns, lockdowns, flattening the curve, masking, limitations of speech on social media; and a cancel culture environment that threatens the basic freedoms our country was founded upon in 1776, ICA will not compromise on the importance of protecting health freedom.  In 1776, our Founders agreed: 

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

The International Chiropractors Association has never had a policy against the use of vaccinations and adamantly rejects recent published misinformation that misrepresents its position on “Health Freedom”.  The ICA Policy on Immunization and Vaccination has remained unchanged for almost 50 years and clearly states:

“The International Chiropractors Association recognizes that the use of vaccines is not without risk and questions the wisdom of mass vaccination programs.  Chiropractic principles favor the enhancement of natural immunity over artificial immunization.

The ICA supports each individual’s right to select his or her own health care and to be made aware of the possible adverse effects of vaccines upon a human body.  In accordance with such principles and based upon the individual’s right to freedom of choice, the ICA is opposed to compulsory programs which infringe upon such rights.

The International Chiropractors Association is supportive of a conscience clause or waiver in compulsory vaccination laws, providing an elective course of action for all regarding immunization, thereby allowing patients freedom of choice in matters affecting their bodies and health.”

The International Chiropractors Association maintains that all healthcare interventions, including the chiropractic adjustment, are associated with some level of risk and that every individual is entitled to be informed of those risks, no matter how insignificant. All individuals must retain the freedom to accept or reject any healthcare product, procedure, or medication including vaccinations.  The International Chiropractors Association therefore strongly opposes the use of medical mandates that violate personal sovereignty, violate the principles of informed consent, and constrain the rights of patients to make their own health care choices.  The ICA Policy is grounded in the principles of the Nuremburg Code that apply to medical research and influenced the development of informed consent for all medical procedures.  The first principle defines that

“The voluntary consent of the human subject is absolutely essential”.

“This means that the person involved should have legal capacity to give consent; should be so situated as to be able to exercise free power of choice, without the intervention of any element of force, fraud, deceit, duress, overreaching, or other ulterior form of constraint or coercion; and should have sufficient knowledge and comprehension of the elements of the subject matter involved as to enable him to make an understanding and enlightened decision.”

The chiropractic profession was founded in 1895 by D.D. Palmer who wanted to know the secret of good health: Why did one person get sick while others living under the same roof, eating the same food, and working the same way, remained healthy? For over 125 years the Chiropractic Profession has focused on health rather than disease, has postulated the basic principle that the health of the host and its ability to adapt to its external environment is more important than the virulence of the disease it is exposed to. 

The ICA encourages the recognition that natural efforts to enhance the innate immune system ability to adapt to novel viruses are grounded in science and rejects the notion that the patients’ freedom to rely on naturally acquired immunity is not based upon unscientific beliefs.

The ICA rejects the premise that the chiropractic profession’s long history of promoting health freedom and supporting conscientious exemptions is based upon unscientific or non-mainstream beliefs.

The ICA rejects the premise that American parents organizing to promote truth in education, or to speak up on behalf of their children constitutes domestic terrorism.  ICA further asserts that all patients and their families have the right to peaceably assemble and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances including those grievances against mandates. 

Dr. Selina Sigafoose Jackson, ICA Board President stated, “While the actual truth on COVID cases, consequences, and deaths, as well as the science on the long-term benefit and risks associated with the COVID-19 vaccines is still a moving target; what is not a moving target is the right of all to health freedom. That is an inalienable human right.”

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