Matt Rosendale: “I reserve the balance of my time. Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Chair, at some point I would like the gentleman from Montana to…”

“I reserve the balance of my time. Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Chair, at some point I would like the gentleman from Montana to show me his statistics. We might have had 60,000 people who chose not to re-up. To attribute it all to COVID, I would like to see that information. I am sure Chair Calvert would like to see that information because that would be important to see. That is a statistic I would like to see where it came from. Madam Chair, I will state again that the COVID-19 vaccine currently isn't required, but to ban it in such a blanket way in which we are doing, takes away some of the ability for the Department. You volunteer to be on a submarine. It takes away some of the flexibility that the Department or commander or someone in the height of a pandemic--should it come again--they should have every tool in their toolbox. Right now there is no current reason for it. Madam Chair, I am like you, talking to friends and neighbors. Some are deciding to get it, some are deciding not to get it, just like people do with the flu shot. There are certain times that the Department of Defense says you need to take these certain medications. The gentleman from Montana listed off a lot of them. We have had them. Our kids have had them. Our servicemembers have them. COVID-19 isn't on a list right now of anything that is being required. This seems to me to be superfluous and kind of creates more friction and anxiousness about how we talk about medicine that is being provided.…”