Republicans recently won a major concession on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), and one Tennessee senator has been on the front lines of attempting to secure such a concession.
Whatever one thinks of the COVID-19 vaccine — and we have repeatedly said we believe it is the best way to ensure either that you don’t contract the virus or that your case is less severe — U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn has tried to reverse the Biden administration’s mandate that members of the military get the vaccine or risk being fired.
The U.S. House passed its version of the NDAA last week with a healthy bipartisan majority, and among its tenets is a requirement that the Pentagon drop the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said on the House floor last week it was the right time to end the requirement. Although President Joe Biden and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin have opposed dropping the ban, Smith’s comment was thought to signal the backing of the White House over the final bill.
The Senate is expected to consider the bill this week.