Republican Senators Demand a Vote to End the Military Vaccine Mandate Before Voting on Defense BillKristina Wong 30 Nov 2022
A diverse group of Republican senators is making a strong push to end the Biden administration’s military vaccine mandate and to reinstate discharged service members with back pay.
The effort is being led by Sens. Rand Paul (KY), Rick Scott (FL), Lindsey Graham (SC), Mike Lee (UT), Ted Cruz (TX), Ron Johnson (WI), Mike Braun (IN), Roger Marshall (KS), Tommy Tuberville (AL), Marco Rubio (FL), Steve Daines (MT), Cindy Hyde-Smith (MS), and Josh Hawley (MO).
On Wednesday, the group sent a letter to Senate Republican leadership informing them they will oppose moving forward on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which authorizes spending for the Pentagon if they get a vote on an amendment to the bill that would end the mandate and reinstate discharged troops with back pay.
The NDAA is the main vehicle Congress has to make changes to Pentagon policy once a year.
Paul, Graham, Lee, Johnson, Braun, and Cruz hosted a press conference on Wednesday to discuss their effort.
“Our young men and women in the military deserve better. The Biden administration’s vaccination mandate has forced our nation’s young patriotic men and women to choose between their faith and their career, between their medical autonomy and their career. At a time when the military is struggling to meet their targets for recruitment, the Biden administration is firing soldiers we invested in and trained,” Paul said.
Paul said they have 20 Republican senators on board so far, and they need another 21 senators in order to stop a cloture vote on the NDAA. He said, so far, no one from the Senate Republican leadership is backing them, which could make other Republican senators afraid to get onboard.
“This is something that the people want. It’s something our soldiers want. It’s something worth fighting for. And I hope our leadership will come around to supporting this,” he said.
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https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2022/11/30/republican-senators-demand-vote-end-military-vaccine-mandate/
