U.S. Rep, Greg Steube is among several Republican lawmakers urging the Defense Department to drop its COVID-19 vaccine mandate, as recruiting new troops becomes tougher.
In the letter, sent to Defense Secretary LloydAustin last week, the GOP lawmakers note that while the vaccines offer a “true testament to the ingenuity and commitment of the American people,” mandatory jabs also “goes against the principles of freedom and individual liberty that we hold dear,” particularly when that mandate comes from “a government that stands as a beacon for freedom and individual liberty for the entire world.”
The lawmakers note that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently determined that testing is not required unless someone shows symptom or is in high-risk environments.
“Our fighting men and women are disproportionately younger, healthier and and significantly less at risk from COVID-19 than the general population,” the letter observed, “and recent reports show that 97% of our men and women in uniform have already taken the vaccine.”
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Yet an estimated 60,000 troops may be forced out for their refusal to go along with the mandate.
After noting that the military is struggling to meet its recruiting goals, the GOP lawmakers asked Austin to “immediately reverse” the vaccine mandate for troops and civilian contractors – to ensure force readiness, to keep America safe and to match the CDC’s guidelines.
They also requested that those troops who were “unfairly forced” to leave the service because they resisted the mandate be reinstated with full back pay and benefits.
U.S. Rep. Bill Posey of Rockledge was another Floridian who signed the letter. Overall, nine Republicans endorsed the letter.
In a statement to constituents, Steube added, “When this original decision was made, their goal was to score political points, not protect our men and women in uniform. All service members who were unjustly forced to separate should be given the option of reinstatement with back pay. Reversing this decision will be critical to protecting our homeland.”
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Free Press.
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