Thousands of troops have been kicked out for refusing the Covid vaccine. Undoing the 2021 policy would be a win for Republicans who argue it's exacerbating a recruiting and retention crisis.
SIMI VALLEY, Calif. — Final defense legislation set to be unveiled next week could undo the Pentagon’s policy of kicking out troops for not taking the Covid vaccine, the Democratic chair of the House Armed Services Committee said Saturday.National Defense Authorization Act“We haven’t resolved it, but it is very fair to say that it’s in discussion,” Smith told POLITICO on the sidelines of the Reagan National Defense Forum. He noted that the mandate may not be logical anymore.
GOP leaders are planning to focus on the policy when they take control of the House, if it isn’t rolled back before then. “The one thing that I was adamant about — so were others — is there’s going to be no reinstatement or back pay for the people who refused to obey the order to get the vaccine,” Smith said. “Orders are not optional in the military.”
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