20 Republican senators are supporting an amendment effort by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) to reverse the military vaccine mandate before passing the annual military defense budget. The amendment would prevent the military from discharging troops based on their COVID-19 vaccination status and would reinstate those who have already been discharged, with back pay.
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At a press conference Wednesday afternoon, Paul said 20 Republican senators had already signed on to support his amendment, Breitbart Pentagon correspondent Kristina Wong reported. Paul would need at least 21 more senators to prevent the NDAA from passing a cloture vote.
“Due to the costs and recruitment challenges, losing thousands of troops due to their vaccination status is a readiness issue that DOD should take seriously,” Paul’s letter says.
According to Politico, members of the House and Senate have settled on about $847 billion for the defense budget after deciding to add $45 billion to the $802 billion requested by President Joe Biden’s administration . Politico reported that the defense budget could reach as high as $858 billion this year. The last NDAA was $770 billion.
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