New NDA Repeals Pentagon’s COVID Vaccine Mandate

It is official, the COVID vaccine mandate has been repealed for all U.S. service members:

President Joe Biden is pictured signing the Respect for Marriage Act on Dec. 13, 2022, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington. On Friday, Dec. 23, 2022, Biden signed the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, an annual law that outlines defense priorities and spending. ((AP Photo/Andrew Harnik))

But the bill also ends one of Biden’s former top priorities in making the coronavirus mandatory for U.S. service members. Republican lawmakers successfully included the measure that rescinds Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s August 2021 order requiring troops to receive the coronavirus inoculation or face punishment, including dismissal from the military. Some 8,200 service members were discharged from the military this year for refusing the vaccine. 

Republicans also tried to include a measure in the NDAA that would force the military services to reinstate those service members who were discharged because of the mandate, but that effort failed. 

The Pentagon has not said what it plans to do now that the vaccine requirement has been ended. Defense Department spokespeople this week said they could not yet comment on the issue.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link.

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liz
liz
1 year ago

Thank God.
and…
Merry Christmas everyone!

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