Following the Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision against his large employer vaccine-or-testing mandate but in favor of a mandate for health care workers, President Biden issued a response commenting on the Thursday ruling.

“Today’s decision by the Supreme Court to uphold the requirement for health care workers will save lives,” Biden wrote, “the lives of patients who seek care in medical facilities, as well as the lives of doctors, nurses, and others who work there.” 

However, the president said he is “disappointed that the Supreme Court has chosen to block common-sense life-saving requirements for employees at large businesses that were grounded squarely in both science and the law.” He noted that his administration’s policy was designed to allow employees at large companies to opt out of vaccination, so long as they tested once a week and wore a mask at work. “A very modest burden,” Biden said.

Though the court ruled against the administration, the president noted he will not stop “using my voice as president to advocate for employers to do the right thing to protect Americans’ health and economy.” He then called for business leaders to “join those who have already stepped up” and implement vaccination requirements of their own.

“We have to keep working together if we want to save lives, keep people working, and put this pandemic behind us.”