[Hoot Gibson]

As former President Obama once said, never underestimate Joe Biden's ability to f--- things up. I do not recall a serious supply chain, even during former President Carter's presidency. Joe Biden is plowing new ground on his march to unprecedented levels of incompetence.

Biden’s vaccine mandate has cargo giants in a pre-holiday panic

The trade association for UPS, FedEx and others has written the Office of Business and Management warning about further supply chain disruptions.

A trade group for air cargo giants like UPS and FedEx is sounding the alarm over an impending Dec. 8 vaccine deadline imposed by President Joe Biden, complaining it threatens to wreak havoc at the busiest time of the year — and add yet another kink to the supply chain.

“We have significant concerns with the employer mandates announced on Sept. 9, 2021, and the ability of industry members to implement the required employee vaccinations by Dec. 8, 2021,” Stephen Alterman, president of the Cargo Airline Association, wrote in a letter sent the Biden administration and obtained by POLITICO.

The letter, sent to the Office of Management and Budget , asks the administration to postpone the deadline until “the first half of 2022.” At issue is the requirement by the Biden administration that federal workers be fully vaccinated by Dec. 8. Unlike private businesses, companies that act as federal contractors cannot opt out by instead submitting their workforces to frequent Covid testing.

In comments Alterman submitted to the Department of Transportation, he noted, “the looming December 8 mandate for having fully vaccinat[ed] workforces creates a significant supply chain problem.”

Some of the members of the Cargo association include FedEx, UPS, DHL Express and Atlas Air, which runs cargo flights for Amazon. Alterman noted that many of these cargo carriers are helping move vital medical supplies — including vaccines to combat the ongoing pandemic.

“This problem is further exacerbated by the fact that we are already experiencing a worker shortage, both in the air and on the ground, and any loss of employees who refuse to be vaccinated will adversely impact needed operations,” he wrote.

The deadline has been hailed by public health officials as a way of increasing vaccination rates as the country continues to struggle with the Covid-19 pandemic. But business groups and conservatives have warned that it could have damaging economic impacts. The deadline brushes right up against the peak holiday season and as some of the biggest cargo distribution companies, including UPS and FedEx, are already battling unprecedented labor shortages.