GOP leader Kevin McCarthy claims he convinced Biden to drop the military’s COVID vaccine mandate and says the Pentagon’s annual budget “will not pass” unless the two-shot rule is lifted
- GOP House Speaker Kevin McCarthy met with President Joe Biden last week and said he was “clear” on how his party would deal with the House majority
- He said Biden worked with him to relax the military’s COVID firing rule
- Republicans have been pushing for an end to the mandate for months
- A Democrat told Politico on Saturday that such a measure could potentially be on the table in the new National Defense Authorization Act
President Joe Biden has agreed to end the US military’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate, House GOP Chairman Kevin McCarthy proposed Sunday.
McCarthy, who is expected to be speaker of the House of Representatives in the new Congress, told Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures that he was in discussion with the president about a provision to end the rule included in this year’s annual defense budget.
Republicans have been pushing for months to end the military’s two-jab rule, arguing that the exhaustion of America’s armed forces poses a threat to national security.
After securing a narrow majority in the House of Representatives for next year, McCarthy said he made it clear to Biden that there must be areas of “compromise” to hope for legislative success.
“I had a meeting with the President, I made it very clear what the difference will be with a new Republican majority,” McCarthy said.
‘By what is the [National Defense Authorization Act]the National Defense Act, we will ensure that vaccination mandates are lifted for our military.’
The California Republican said he was “very clear” with Biden about House Republican priorities — like holding the NDAA hostage until the vaccine rule repeal is included.
“The bill won’t move” if the language isn’t in it, McCarthy promised.
House GOP Chairman Kevin McCarthy on Sunday suggested ending the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for military personnel could be the first area of compromise in the new divided administration
“I was very clear with the President. The President… worked with me on it.”
He continued: “This is the first sign of a divided government. You have a compromise here. And we have something that Republicans have worked very hard on and also a number of Democrats who are trying to succeed, but party rule would never allow that. And now we will succeed.’
Last week, a group of Republican senators sent a letter to their leaders, including Mitch McConnell, telling them they would not consider the NDAA without first voting on a measure to end the military vaccine mandate.
More than 3,000 soldiers have been inactivated since the rule went into effect last April, the letter said, carried by Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky.
Lawmakers claim the Pentagon’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate has “ruined the livelihoods of men and women who have honorably served our country.”
The two-jab COVID rule was first announced in late August by order of Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
For months, Republicans have been calling on President Joe Biden to end the mandate
More than 3,000 service members have been placed inactive as of April due to the immunization mandate, according to a letter from Senate Republicans last week
In response, Republicans began raising alarms about how the rule would exacerbate existing military staffing shortages — which are expected to worsen in the years to come.
“The United States simply cannot afford to dismiss our brave men and women in uniform and lose the investment we have made in each and every one of them because of incompetent bureaucratic policies,” the letter reads.
A senior House Democrat confirmed to Politico Saturday at the Reagan National Defense Forum that a rollback of the COVID rule is being considered.
“We haven’t resolved it, but it’s very fair to say it’s under discussion,” MP Adam Smith reportedly said.
The Washington Democrat indicated that he strongly supports the mandate and other precautionary measures against the COVID-19 pandemic, which were then taken at the urging of the medical community.
“But at this point does it make sense to have that policy from August 2021? That’s a discussion I’m open to and we’re having,” Smith reportedly said.