Tennessee Congressman John Rose (R-TN-06) released a statement Thursday following the passage of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2023, the primary authorization for funding the U.S. Armed Forces and Department of Defense (DoD), in the House of Representatives.
The NDAA passed the House by a vote of 350-80. The bill now heads to the Senate, where it is expected to pass, and then to President Joe Biden’s desk for signature before becoming law.
Included in the bill is the termination of the COVID-19 vaccine requirement for military service members. Additional provisions to the NDAA include a 4.6 percent pay increase for service members and a $45 billion increase for defense programs than Biden originally requested.
I was proud to cosponsor legislation to get rid of the mandate earlier this year.
President Biden must promptly re-enlist the 8,000+ dismissed service members and apologize. https://t.co/K0G6asZc2D
— John Rose (@RepJohnRose) December 8, 2022
“Finally, the insanity has ended, and our men and women serving in the armed forces will no longer be subject to such a ridiculous mandate,” Congressman Rose released in a statement. “I have always said that people who wanted the shot should get it, but it should never be forced on anyone. The inclusion of this provision that I have fought so hard for in the NDAA is a step in the right direction, but now it is time for President Biden to re-enlist those soldiers wrongfully discharged, clear their records, and publicly apologize for his and his administration’s egregious mistake.”
In the past, Rose has consistently called for the termination of COVID-19 vaccine requirements. In July, The Tennessee Star reported that Rose co-sponsored a bill (HR 3860) with Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY-04) that would prevent government-mandated vaccinations for members of the U.S. Military.
The bill, which would “prohibit the use of federal funds to require a member of the Armed Forces to receive a COVID-19 vaccination,” was discharged from the House Committee on Armed Services in November.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
