Washington – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall helped secure a major win as part of his longstanding effort to protect American servicemembers from Joe Biden’s COVID-19 punitive vaccine mandate, according to a statement from the Senator's office.
The 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), legislation critical to American military preparedness, includes a provision that halts the Department of Defense (DOD) from forcing servicemembers to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
“The Biden Administration should be ashamed of how unfairly they treated our troops over this vaccine. The lives of so many patriotic families have been turned upside down after they were discharged from service at the hands of Joe Biden,” said Marshall. “There’s not enough science to support a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for America’s troops – some of the healthiest individuals in our nation. With the number of new servicemembers joining the military reaching record lows, Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate has significantly diminished our military’s ability to carry out crucial missions across the board. I’m proud of our work to end President Biden’s cruel mandate and will not rest until those who were discharged receive back pay and an opportunity to rejoin the military.”
So far in 2022, the Department of Defense has dismissed approximately 8,000 active-duty servicemembers for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine. Additionally, an estimated 37,000 National Guardsmen and 22,000 Reserve soldiers who refused COVID-19 vaccination were suspended from service, and stripped of their military benefits and pay.
Specifically, the amendment to the NDAA championed by Senator Marshall prohibits involuntary separation of a servicemember for refusal of the COVID-19 vaccine until each Service achieves its authorized end strength.
Last week, Senator Marshall and 12 of his colleagues wrote a letter to Senate Republican leadership expressing opposition to moving forward with the NDAA unless the Senate votes on an amendment to prohibit discharges from the Armed Forces solely because of COVID-19 vaccination status. This effort was successful. Senator Marshall and his colleagues also requested that leadership include an amendment to reinstate service members already discharged, with back pay, but the group’s efforts fell short.