Washington– U.S. Senator Roger Marshall's amendment to prevent Joe Biden from dishonorably discharging military service members for choosing to not get the COVID vaccine passed the U.S. Senate as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Wednesday.
“I am proud the NDAA passed the Senate and included my amendment to ensure service members will be protected from a dishonorable discharge for choosing not to get the COVID vaccine. Simply put, a dishonorable discharge treats our heroes as felons. But, our American heroes deserve better,” said Senator Marshall. “I support the vaccine, but I also support those who are defending our freedoms and have carefully weighed their decision on whether to receive the COVID vaccine. With our amendment in the NDAA, we were able to provide our service men and women with the medical freedom they rightly deserve.”
In total, Senator Marshall secured 14 NDAA wins in his first year as a U.S. Senator to protect national security, according to a statement from his office.
The COVID-19 Vaccine Dishonorable Discharge Prevention Act was introduced by Senator Marshall on the heels of President Biden mandating millions of Americans to get vaccinated and the DOD issuing guidance stating that soldiers who refuse the vaccine will face “administrative or non-judicial punishment [under UCMJ] – to include relief of duties or discharge.”
Since introduction of the bill, the White House announced opposition to the Senators’ legislation and in turn doubled down in their support to give service members a dishonorable discharge for refusing the COVID vaccine. As such, Senator Marshall offered his legislation as an amendment to the NDAA.
Dishonorably discharged U.S. service members surrender the following rights and benefits:
- Ownership of any sort of firearm or ammunition
- Access to the GI Bill for further education
- VA home loans
- VA medical benefits
- Military Funeral Honors
- Re-enlistment in another military branch