On the recordDecember 1, 2021
our Armed Forces have been asked to work miracles over the last 18 months. During a global pandemic, in the face of natural disasters, and facing dangerous missions, our men and women in uniform have risen to the challenge just as they have so many times throughout our history. Many of our servicemembers have contracted and then recovered from COVID. Now these heroes--the same heroes--are being placed in a corner by this administration. President Biden's COVID vaccine requirement for the Armed Forces does not grant our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines the respect that they deserve. As the Senate debates our annual National Defense Authorization Act, it would be a huge mistake not to consider this mandate's impact on our retention and recruitment of servicemembers and, thus, on our military's readiness to secure our national security. This mandate, tied with President Biden's more sweeping general vaccine mandate, is something that, in combination, has put millions of Americans in so many difficult, untenable, unfair positions. In most cases, these are hard-working, everyday Americans. They are mothers and fathers, husbands and wives who are just trying to put food on the table during difficult economic times.…





