WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo (both R-Idaho) joined Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) and eight other colleagues in successfully securing a provision in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to protect service members from the Biden Administration’s COVID vaccine mandate.
Additional Senators who secured this provision in the FY2023 are Senators Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Joni Ernst (R- Iowa), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and John Hoeven (R-N.D.).
“In the United States, the number of new service members joining the military is reaching a near record low. The United States needs a strong military to protect our country against the growing threats facing our nation. We are pleased that the final conferenced bill includes language mirroring our amendments’ efforts to protect troops from being fired due to Biden’s COVID vaccine mandate without fair appeal and to the harm of service readiness,” said Senators Risch, Crapo, Blackburn, Marshall, Hyde-Smith, Braun, Fischer, Ernst, Tuberville, Daines and Hoeven.
BACKGROUND:
- Senators Risch, Crapo, Blackburn, Cotton, Lankford, Braun, Hoeven, Hyde-Smith, Cruz, Ernst, Fischer, Marshall, Graham, Tuberville and Daines introduced a measure to the FY 2023 NDAA to ensure members of the National Guard or Reserve maintain access to pay and benefits while their request for a religious or health accommodation is pending.
- Senators Risch, Crapo, Blackburn, Cotton, Lankford, Braun, Hoeven, Hyde-Smith, Cruz, Ernst, Fischer, Marshall, Graham, Tuberville, and Daines introduced a measure to the FY 2023 NDAA to prohibit involuntary separation of any servicemember for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine until each Service achieves its end strength authorized by last year’s NDAA.
# # #
