MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WHNT) -- Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall filed a lawsuit Friday attempting to block the federal-contractor vaccine mandate ordered by President Joe Biden.

In a statement, Marshall calls the order, "strategically designed with an unreasonable timetable to exert maximum coercive pressure on states."

He continues, "Such that they are faced with either vaccinating a large percentage of their public and private workforces in a matter of weeks, or else they are barred from contracting with the federal government."

Marshall's lawsuit joins the attorneys general of Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, South Carolina, Utah and West Virginia in opposition to Biden's mandate.

Read Marshall's full statement below:

“Today, I filed suit to halt President Biden’s lawless and authoritarian federal-contractor vaccine mandate, which is a contemptible infringement upon individual liberty, federalism, and the separation of powers. Biden has again demonstrated open disdain for the rule of law in seizing power Congress never gave him. And all to impose a mandate that threatens to further wreck our economy and people’s lives by denying countless workers the ability to feed their families simply for daring to oppose this get-jabbed-or-get-fired dictate,” said Attorney General Marshall.

“Within the last ten days, the Biden administration informed a number of Alabama state agencies and institutions that they are subject to his federal-contractor vaccine mandate and must, therefore, force their employees to be vaccinated. This order was strategically designed with an unreasonable timetable to exert maximum coercive pressure on states—such that they are faced with either vaccinating a large percentage of their public and private workforces in a matter of weeks, or else they are barred from contracting with the federal government.

“I will vigorously oppose this deceitful attempt by Biden to strong-arm the State of Alabama and its people. In just nine months of this administration, we’ve seen repeated, unprecedented attempts from Biden to expand government control over Americans and limit our personal freedoms. I and my fellow state attorneys general have consistently fought this creeping authoritarianism in court. And I look forward to, yet again, holding Biden accountable and stopping this illegal federal mandate for all federal contractors and their employees.”

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall

Governor Kay Ivey signed an executive order on Monday that calls for the State of Alabama to not impose penalties on businesses or individuals who don’t abide by federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

You can read the AG's lawsuit in its entirety here.