{"id":970282,"date":"2021-11-05T01:13:48","date_gmt":"2021-11-05T05:13:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=970282"},"modified":"2021-11-05T01:13:51","modified_gmt":"2021-11-05T05:13:51","slug":"gop-senators-back-amendment-to-ban-dishonorable-discharges-for-troops-refusing-vaccine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gop-senators-back-amendment-to-ban-dishonorable-discharges-for-troops-refusing-vaccine\/","title":{"rendered":"GOP Senators Back Amendment to Ban Dishonorable Discharges for Troops Refusing Vaccine"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fgop-senators-back-amendment-to-ban-dishonorable-discharges-for-troops-refusing-vaccine%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=970282&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/GettyImages-1230857847-640x335-1.jpg\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" \/><\/div>\n<p class=\"subheading\">A group of Republican senators are backing an amendment to annual must-pass defense legislation that would ban dishonorable discharges for troops who do not comply with the Biden administration\u2019s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for the military.<\/p>\n<p>Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) discussed his amendment during a press conference on Thursday on Capitol Hill, along with Sens. Rick Scott (R-FL), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND), and First Liberty Institute General Counsel Mike Berry, all either military veterans or members of the Senate Armed Services Committee.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"gmxrevmore\" class=\"H\"><\/figure>\n<p>Marshall, an Army veteran, said:<\/p>\n<blockquote readability=\"10\">\n<p>Next Thursday is Veterans\u2019s Day, a day that we stop, that this nation pauses, to honor our veterans. Our president instead is choosing to dishonor our military active duty officers by forcing them to be separated from the military and then pushing upon them a dishonorable discharge.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in late August ordered the coronavirus vaccine to be mandatory for all service members. Since then, the Pentagon has repeatedly warned that service members who do not comply with the order could face disciplinary action and potential discharge.<\/p>\n<p>Service members are allowed to apply for religious accommodations to be exempt from the mandate, but no requests have been approved, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/11\/03\/us\/politics\/air-force-reaches-vaccine-deadline.html\"><em>New York Times<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B2\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<p>Berry, a Marine lieutenant colonel reservist who is representing about 40 SEALs, said:<\/p>\n<blockquote readability=\"19\">\n<p>As a veteran, I can say that when you raise your right hand and you swear the oath to support and defend the constitution, you certainly give up some of your freedoms. We all recognize that, but you do not give up your religious freedom when you serve this country. And yet that is exactly what First Liberty Institute clients are facing today is the loss of their religious freedom. Being forced to choose between their faith and serving this country.<\/p>\n<p>This is a time in our nation\u2019s history when we face great real threats from China, North Korea, Iran, Russia.&nbsp;And we should expect that every one of our able bodied SEALs and other service members \u2014 we want them defending this nation fighting for our freedom. And instead they\u2019re fighting for their lives and their careers. That\u2019s un-American and that\u2019s wrong.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>After House Republicans successfully included a provision&nbsp;that would ban dishonorable discharges for service members not complying with the mandate in the House version of the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act, the Biden White House issued a statement saying they opposed it.<\/p>\n<p>The Biden administration released a <a class=\"x5l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/SAP-HR-4350.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener external\">Statement of Administration Policy <\/a>on September 21 that said the provision, authored by Rep. Mark Green (R-TN), \u201cwould detract from readiness and limit a commander\u2019s options for enforcing good order and discipline when a Service member fails to obey a lawful order to receive a vaccination.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo enable a uniformed force to fight with discipline, commanders must have the ability to give orders and take appropriate disciplinary measures,\u201d the White House statement said.<\/p>\n<p>Marshall, along with Republican Sens. Scott, Wicker, Cramer, and Ron Johnson (WI), John Kennedy (LA), Tommy Tuberville (AL), Ted Cruz (TX), James Lankford (OK), Shelly Moore-Capito (WV), and Cindy Hyde-Smith (MS), are backing adding the provision to the Senate\u2019s version of the NDAA.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B3\" class=\"a8d adSo\"><\/figure>\n<p>Scott, a Navy veteran, said he \u201cnever&nbsp;imagined that my federal government that I took the oath to defend the freedom of\u2026would come back and say, if you don\u2019t put something in your body that you don\u2019t feel comfortable with\u2026, adding:<\/p>\n<blockquote readability=\"12\">\n<p>Look, I took the vaccine. I\u2019ve had COVID, but [saying], \u2018If you don\u2019t do this, then\u2026we\u2019re going to kick you out of the military\u2019\u2026&nbsp; This is disgusting. It\u2019s wrong. It needs to stop. Joe Biden needs to start standing up for the men and women of our military instead of trashing them and tell him he\u2019s going to ruin their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Wicker, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, said the mandate would lead to losing the \u201cbest and brightest and our bravest.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B2\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cOur commander in chief is grossly miscalculating the will of the American people. And not only is he going to create a crisis in the United States military, but [to] small businesses and to businesses that would contract with the federal government,\u201d Wicker said.<\/p>\n<p>Cramer said he has been hearing from his constituents who serve in the military, as well as some mothers of those serving.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019re very concerned about this. It\u2019s not a trifling matter to them. This is not some just sort of a macho standoff. This is heartfelt conscientious liberty issue. I mean, this is a big deal to them,\u201d he said,<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B4\" class=\"a8d adSo\"><\/figure>\n<p>Marshall concluded:<\/p>\n<blockquote readability=\"13\">\n<p>President Biden wants to turn heroes into felons. That\u2019s what his policy is doing. He wants to turn heroes into felons. Think about the consequences of a dishonorable discharge.<\/p>\n<p>You would lose your access to GI bill for more education, you would lose access to VA home loans, your VA medical benefits, military funeral honors. Every month we get requests to make sure that someone gets proper military funeral orders. How important that is to Americans.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>He added that troops with dishonorable discharges cannot&nbsp;re-enlist in another branch or own firearms or ammunition, and in some states, they lose their voting rights.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is a big issue. It is a big deal. It\u2019s going to make our nation less secure, probably over 50% of our enlisted soldiers in the national guard, the army reserve have not had the vaccine yet,\u201d he said, adding:<\/p>\n<blockquote readability=\"12\">\n<p>Thousands of other people that are active-duty have not had the vaccine yet. And these are, these are based upon religious convictions. Yesterday I sat down with an active duty Navy SEAL officer and said, \u2018Tell me why you don\u2019t want the vaccine.\u2019 He went through a very deep spiritual context of his faith-based decision, prayer and thought, and that was his conclusion.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>\u201cAnd I\u2019m not saying that I would follow his logic perfectly, but I respect his faith and his ability to make that decision. And just like one size doesn\u2019t fit all,\u201d he said. \u201cWe should respect their religious freedoms. You don\u2019t give that up when you go in the military.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Follow Breitbart News\u2019s Kristina Wong on <a href=\"http:\/\/www.twitter.com\/kristina_wong\">Twitter<\/a>&nbsp;or on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/kristinawongreporting\">Facebook<\/a>.<\/em>&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A group of Republican senators are backing an amendment to annual must-pass defense legislation that would ban dishonorable discharges for troops who do not comply with the Biden administration\u2019s COVID-19 &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-970282","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/970282","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=970282"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/970282\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=970282"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=970282"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=970282"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}