Regardless of his admission “The pandemic is over,” President Joe Biden is refusing to decide to funding our nation’s army except we proceed to drive servicemembers to take the COVID shot. In reality, when requested, his press secretary refuses even to say he’ll signal the funding invoice.
Our army is struggling a extreme recruiting disaster, and Biden’s fixation on a unending pandemic and woke army is definitely not serving to. As a member of the Senate Armed Companies Committee, I’ve spent the final six months preventing for our women and men in uniform set to be discharged because of the draconian Biden vaccine mandate; and for six months, I've fielded nothing however political deflection that betrays the White Home’s full disregard for our army and our nationwide safety.
This must be unthinkable when America’s adversaries all over the world are threatening the protection and safety of our nation and its allies. North Korea is racing to broaden its ballistic missile capabilities, China is growing its threats towards our accomplice Taiwan and Russia has deepened its relationship with Iran to assist wage its warfare towards Ukraine.
Throughout occasions like these, Biden must be laser-focused on making certain the US army stays essentially the most deadly preventing drive on the globe. As an alternative, he continues to impose a vindictive and pointless vaccine mandate on our troops, forcing a lot of them to the sidelines. As commander in chief, one of many president’s most essential duties is to guard those that volunteer to serve our nation, an obligation he violated when he imposed the mandate.
The Pentagon made COVID vaccinations obligatory for our nation’s troops in August 2021. The foundations have been clear: All servicemembers would take the shot or danger being fired. In doing this, Biden not solely failed our women and men in uniform — he undermined our nationwide protection.
Greater than 8,400 active-duty servicemembers have already been fired for not getting vaccinated, and greater than 10,000 troopers within the Military Reserve and Nationwide Guard have been barred from drills, coaching and pay. The non secular exemptions the administration touted have been one more empty promise. As of Dec. 1, the Military had granted simply 123 — out of 9,005 requests.
In the meantime, the variety of Individuals volunteering to serve continues to say no. The Military alone fell 15,000 troopers in need of its recruiting objective this 12 months, and the US army as an entire is dealing with its best recruiting problem because the volunteer service’s inception.
However despite this clear recruiting and retention disaster, the president selected to bend to the calls for of the Democratic Social gathering’s most radical voices. These are the identical people who, for nearly three years, referred to as for lockdowns, college closures and obligatory masking of kids within the title of “science.” The “science” modified greater than as soon as, however the narrative by no means did, which tells you all you might want to find out about the place this faction comes down on questions of freedom vs. authorities management.
It's long gone time for Congress to step in. And now, ultimately, we now have secured a bipartisan, bicameral provision within the Nationwide Protection Authorization Act that may repeal Biden’s mandate as soon as and for all and restore this fundamental freedom to our women and men in uniform. Lots of our servicemembers have chosen to get vaccinated; others have chosen to not. Whether or not they opted out attributable to real unease over potential well being dangers or a sincerely held non secular perception, that call is a private one which deserves our respect.
I urge the president to acknowledge this and stand with my colleagues in Congress by repealing the uniquely harmful energy seize that's the army vaccine mandate. He ought to instantly signal the NDAA into regulation when it arrives at his desk and work to make complete our troops who have been the victims of his quest for energy. If not, my congressional colleagues should be sure that troopers, sailors, airmen and marines who have been so carelessly discharged are reinstated with again pay.
The Pentagon should additionally right related army information to make sure those that have been unfairly focused do not need black marks on their report. Those that have volunteered to defend our freedom deserve the liberty to resolve for themselves whether or not or to not get vaccinated. I stand with our troops, and meaning standing towards President Biden’s army vaccine mandate.
Marsha Blackburn (R) represents Tennessee within the US Senate.
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