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Blackburn, Colleagues Help Secure Provision To Protect Servicemembers From COVID Vaccine Mandate In 2023 NDAA

Patrice Boykin

December 7, 2022

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U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) is a signee to this joint message regarding the military COVID-19 vaccine mandate. It was issued last night with the filing of the FY2023 National Defense Authorization Act.

Last week, Hyde-Smith was part of a group of Senators who informed leadership they would not support moving to the NDAA without a commitment to address the military vaccine issue. In September, the Senator also cosponsored the Preserving the Readiness of Our Armed Forces Act (S.4925), which would restrict military COVID-related separations until recruiting benchmarks are met among the Services. It would also ensure continued pay and benefits for servicemembers while religious and health accommodations are pending.



Blackburn, Colleagues Help Secure Provision To Protect Servicemembers From COVID Vaccine Mandate In 2023 NDAA
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) along with Senators Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Joni Ernst (R- Iowa), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), and Jim Risch (R-Idaho) released the following joint statement after helping to successfully secure a provision in the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act to protect servicemembers from the Biden administration’s COVID vaccine mandate. “In the United States, the number of new servicemembers 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 Blackburn, Marshall, Hyde-Smith, Braun, Fischer, Ernst, Tuberville, Crapo, Daines, Hoeven, and Risch. BACKGROUND Senator Blackburn along with Senators Cotton, Lankford, Risch, Braun, Crapo, Hoeven, Hyde-Smith, Cruz, Ernst, Fischer, Marshall, Graham, Tuberville, and Daines introduced a measure to the 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. Senator Blackburn along with Senators Cotton, Risch, Braun, Crapo, Hoeven, Hyde-Smith, Ernst, Fischer, Marshall, Graham, Tuberville, and Daines introduced a measure to the 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.