Several Senate Republicans have reiterated their demand that the U.S. military drop its coronavirus vaccine mandate and urged Republican leadership to use the National Defense Authorization Act as leverage in negotiations.
The 13 conservatives wrote a letter to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-SD), Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Barrasso (R-WY), and Senate Republican Policy Committee Chairman Roy Blunt (R-MO), dated on Wednesday, urging them not to invoke cloture on the NDAA unless the Senate votes on an amendment to prohibit “the involuntary separation of a member of the Armed Forces based solely on a service member’s COVID-19 vaccination status.”
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The group also wants the Defense Department to reinstate any service member who was separated for refusing to get the vaccine and give them back pay.
Republicans, by and large, have been against coronavirus vaccine mandates, and this isn’t the first time a group of conservatives has spoken out against this DOD policy, though service members are required to get more than a dozen other vaccines when they enlist.
“The Department of Defense COVID-19 vaccine mandate has ruined the livelihoods of men and women who have honorably served our country,” the letter said. “While the Department of Defense certainly must make decisions that will bolster military readiness, the effects of the mandate are antithetical to readiness of our force, and the policy must be revoked.”
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Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Rick Scott (R-FL), Mike Lee (R-UT), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Mike Braun (R-IN), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Steve Daines (R-MT), Josh Hawley (R-MO), and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) signed the letter to party leadership.
The NDAA is what funds the military annually, and the bill has been passed into law every year since 1962. Similarly, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin urged lawmakers earlier this week to fund the government fully instead of via a stopgap resolution that would allow negotiators additional time to come to a long-term agreement.
“The CR hurts American Service members and their families. For example, if the CR extends beyond December, we may be forced to reduce accessions or permanent change of station moves, impairing our ability to meet our missions, and causing unnecessary disruption to our families and our ability to recruit personnel,” he wrote. “As in FY2022, it is impairing our ability to hire the people we need to accelerate our efforts to eradicate sexual assault and prevent suicides. The CR is delaying needed investments in military infrastructure, including barracks and child care centers. Under a year-long CR, we would lose an entire year of investment in our infrastructure, because military construction projects are by definition prohibited new starts.”
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The Biden administration initially sought $802 billion for national defense, though a possible compromise on Capitol Hill could reach $847 billion, according to Politico. Negotiators also agree to authorize 11 naval ships as a part of the deal, according to a Bloomberg journalist.
