Biden, Pentagon oppose GOP push to lift military COVID vaccine mandate

President Joe Biden and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin oppose a Republican effort to repeal the Defense Department’s vaccine mandate for U.S. service members, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said. 

“Secretary Austin’s been very clear that he opposes the repeal of the vaccine mandate, and the president actually concurs with the secretary of defense,” Kirby told reporters Monday.

Biden “continues to believe that all Americans, including those in the armed forces, should be vaccinated and boosted for COVID-19,” Kirby said, adding, “Vaccines are saving lives including our men and women in uniform.”

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy said on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” that a repeal of the vaccine mandate would be added to the fiscal 2023 Pentagon policy bill, set to be unveiled this week. 

“Otherwise, the bill will not move,” McCarthy said. “This is the first sign of having divided government.”

McCarthy said he spoke with Biden at the White House last week about the effort to lift the mandate, as well as with Austin on Saturday night.

In a letter last week to Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, a group of GOP lawmakers said they would oppose moving forward on the defense policy bill without a vote on an amendment to stop the Pentagon from discharging service members who were not vaccinated and to reinstate those already dismissed with back pay. Among those signing the letter were Senators Rand Paul of Kentucky, Ted Cruz of Texas and Marco Rubio of Florida. 

A federal appeals court last week barred the Air Force from disciplining service members who aren’t vaccinated against COVID-19 while a class action over its alleged discriminatory policy of denying religious exemptions proceeds.

The military administers 17 different vaccines, at minimum, plus additional ones for deployments.

— With assistance from Zach C. Cohen and Roxana Tiron.

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