House Committee Takes Initial Stab at Protecting, Reenlisting Troops Booted Over Covid-19 Vaccine

June 22, 2023

The House Armed Services Committee voted in favor of several amendments aimed at minimizing penalties for and reinstating troops who refused the COVID-19 vaccine.

by Micaela Burrow DailyCaller.com

The House Armed Services Committee approved a raft of provisions aimed at overturning penalties for servicemembers who refused the COVID-19 vaccine and bringing those who were discharged back into active duty on Wednesday.

While the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (DNAA) repealed Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for troops, it opened up a host of complications for members awaiting exemptions or discharges who had negative marks entered into their personnel records and did nothing to reinstate those already discharged. The House Armed Services Committee, debating its markup of the NDAA for fiscal year 2024, took an initial stab at addressing those problems following a year of confusion and GOP dissatisfaction with the Pentagon over how it handled the vaccine repeal.