D.C. Councilmember Brianne Nadeau has withdrawn a bill that would have reinstated the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for businesses for 90 days, making the last-minute decision just over 12 hours before the council was set to vote on the emergency measure.

In a statement on Thursday night, Nadeau conceded that while she would likely have had support from a majority  — seven votes out of 13 lawmakers — she did not have the nine votes that are needed to pass emergency bills. The council was set to debate and vote on the measure on Friday morning.

“I still believe that reinstating the proof of vaccination requirement for certain establishments and facilities is the best way to protect public health and safety. I believe that it is the best way to protect our immunocompromised neighbors, children under five, and even the 93% of District residents who have received at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine. I strongly encourage businesses to keep this protection in place for their workers and patrons. I truly believe that patrons will choose to spend their money in the places they feel protected,” she added.

Nadeau announced the bill on Tuesday, the day after Mayor Muriel Bowser made the surprise announcement that she would lift the month-old mandate that required many businesses to check that customers had gotten at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Bowser said that the mandate had accomplished its initial goal of spurring more people to get the vaccine, and had started showing diminishing returns.

“Too often lately the Council has become engaged in political battles with the Mayor over what I believe to be common sense measures and good policy. All we are asking for is some transparency and dialogue during one of the most critical moments in the history of our city,” she said.

According to D.C. data, an estimated 94% of all D.C. residents are partially or fully vaccinated, while 72% are fully vaccinated. A number of other cities have also lifted their own vaccine mandates, including Seattle, Philadelphia, and Minneapolis.

But Bowser’s move drew swift opposition from a number of D.C. lawmakers, who said it was premature and shortsighted. Beyond what they said were the health and safety benefits of the vaccine mandate, they also pointed a Washington Post poll published Tuesday that showed that 74% of residents also supported the mandate. (A second poll published Thursday showed 72% of residents giving Bowser high marks for her management of the pandemic.)

Still, Nadeau’s emergency bill — which spurred Council Chairman Phil Mendelson to call a special session Friday for a vote — prompted questions and concerns from some of her colleagues, including over the timing of reinstating the mandate. Had the council passed Nadeau’s bill, Bowser would have had 10 days to sign or veto it. Had she vetoed it, the council would then have to override it. That process could have taken until mid-March, leaving businesses to manage an on-again, off-again mandate.

The Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington also flexed its political muscle, organizing an email-writing campaign urging lawmakers to oppose reinstating the vaccine mandate. “The data shows that reinstating the vaccination mandate for indoor dining will only slow the recovery of our industry,” read the email. “Restaurants are now in the position to decide what is best for the health and safety of their staff and customers, and require proof of vaccination, if that is what makes most sense for their establishment and employees.”

A growing number of bars and restaurants have already said they will maintain a vaccine requirement for customers, even if the city no longer mandates it.

In her statement saying she’d withdraw the emergency bill, Nadeau asked Bowser to reconsider her decision to lift the mandate.

“I implore the Mayor to do the right thing. I implore her to stand up for workers, for young people, for sick people, and for all those whose voices have been drowned out in this conversation by those of lobbyists,” she said. “I implore her to follow her constituents, to follow her conscience, and to follow the science.”