The new draft of the annual defense bill suggests mandatory COVID-19 vaccine for the military be annulled, as well as a permitting reform Sen. Joe Machin backed be dropped, The Hill reported.
The House might vote on the National Defense Authorization Act on Thursday, which will decide how the $847 billion Defense Department would be allocated into the fiscal year 2023.
The announcement follows House Democrats’ agreement to insert language in the NDAA repealing the military’s mandatory vaccination policy one year after it was implemented.
The elimination of the requirement was made a high priority by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who declared on Sunday that the measure “would not proceed” without language to that effect.
The mandate had received backing from both the Pentagon and the Biden administration.
McCarthy praised the annulment of the Covid vaccine mandate but added that the Biden administration should do more. The House Minority Leader warned that national security came under great risk as service members were dismissed due to their refusal to comply with the mandate.
“These heroes deserve justice now that the mandate is no more,” McCarthy underscored. “The Biden administration must correct service records and not stand in the way of re-enlisting any service member discharged simply for not taking the COVID vaccine.”
Despite Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s recommendation to keep the mandate in place, Biden told McCarthy he would consider doing so, according to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Monday, The Hill reported.
A directive from Austin in August 2021 put the Covid vaccine mandate into effect. It instructed all active-duty, National Guard, and Reserve personnel of the Armed Forces to begin receiving complete vaccinations from the secretaries of the different military branches. They haven’t been compelled to get boosters as well.
Austin told a news conference he continues to support the vaccination for American soldiers when questioned about the issue over the weekend.
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