(Mike Osborne) — Gov. Bill Lee this week signed a letter asking Congress to rescind the Pentagon’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate, saying the requirement is compromising national security.
The letter by 21 state governors was addressed to the leadership of the U.S. House and Senate. It claimed some 8,000 active military and some 14,000 guard members nationwide have been discharged -- or soon will be -- for refusing to get vaccinated against the virus.
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley announced the vaccine requirement for all service members in Aug. 2021. He noted the military service has long required a long list of vaccinations. He called the COVID-19 vaccine mandate “a key force protection and readiness issue.”