- November 5, 2021
ICYMI: Sen. Marshall slams ‘bullying’ by military on vaccine mandate, vows to back service members seeking exemptions
(Washington, D.C., November 5, 2021) – Yesterday, U.S. Senators Roger Marshall, M.D. (KS), Kevin Cramer (ND), Rick Scott (FL), and Roger Wicker (MI), along with First Liberty Institute general counsel Mike Berry – an attorney representing dozens of Navy Seals fighting the vaccine mandate – held a press conference to discuss their efforts to halt President Joe Biden from dishonorably discharging servicemembers for choosing to not get the COVID vaccine. You may click HERE or on the image below to watch a highlight video of Senator Marshall’s fight against these dishonorable discharges:
In case you missed it, here is what they are saying about Senator Marshall’s COVID-19 Vaccine Dishonorable Discharge Prevention Act:
Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., is leading the GOP charge in the Senate against the military COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Marshall explained that what inspired him to get support for the COVID-19 Dishonorable Discharge Prevention Act, introduced in Sept., was Biden administration support for dishonorably discharging unvaccinated service members. “What really lit my fire was when I heard the White House say, we want them have a dishonorable discharge.”
“Think about the consequences of a dishonorable discharge,” Marshall said Thursday, listing off several including the loss of medical and education benefits, gun-ownership rights, and the ability to reenlist in another military branch. “This is a big issue. It is a big deal.”… “I support the vaccine,” Marshall said Thursday. “I don’t support mandates. I don’t support one-size-fits-all.”
Newsmax: Sen. Marshall Slams Military for ‘Bullying’ Service Members to Get Vaccinated
Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., says he’s fighting back against military leaders “bullying” service members into receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Marshall, who spent seven years in the Army Reserve, told Fox News he was disgusted by the White House’s decision to penalize service members who refuse to comply with the vaccine mandate, with penalties including possible discharge from the service.
The proposed amendment to the pending 2022 National Defense Authorization Act was introduced by Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., who said it would protect troops who object to the vaccine mandated earlier this year by the Pentagon. Marshall said it was especially important to protect thousands of service members who have applied for religious-based exemptions to the vaccine, none of which have been approved to date by military officials.
“Next Thursday … is Veteran’s Day, a day that we stop, that this nation pauses, to honor our veterans,” Sen. Roger Marshall, Kansas Republican said. “Our president instead is choosing to dishonor our military active duty officers by forcing them to be separated from the military and then pushing upon them a dishonorable discharge…. President Biden wants to turn heroes into felons,” Mr. Marshall said Thursday in a press conference.
Breitbart: GOP Senators Back Amendment to Ban Dishonorable Discharges for Troops Refusing Vaccine
Marshall concluded: President Biden wants to turn heroes into felons. That’s what his policy is doing. He wants to turn heroes into felons. Think about the consequences of a dishonorable discharge. You would lose your access to GI bill for more education, you would lose access to VA home loans, your VA medical benefits, military funeral honors.
Nearly a dozen Republican senators sponsored legislation that would stop the military from giving service members who refuse the coronavirus vaccine dishonorable discharges. . The proposed legislation would amend the imminent 2022 National Defense Authorization Act in an effort to protect troops who object to the Pentagon’s vaccine mandate, according to Senator Roger Marshall, a Republican from Kansas, who introduced the proposal.
Epoch Times: GOP Senators: Dishonorable Discharge for Unvaccinated Service Member ‘Needs to Stop’
“What really lit my fire was when I heard the White House say, we want them [to] have a dishonorable discharge,” Marshall said. “So next week is Veterans Day. We’re honoring them this week [as] the president of the United States is dishonoring our military members.”
Background:
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 has offered his legislation as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act.
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
You may click HERE or on the image below to watch yesterday’s press conference in its entirety.
Senator Marshall has been leading the fight in the U.S. Senate to halt President Biden’s vaccine mandate and to get the Administration to recognize the importance of natural immunity.
- Earlier this week, he led a letter with several Republican Senators pledging to oppose ALL efforts to implement and enforce Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate particularly on upcoming spending measures considered by the U.S. Senate. You may click HERE for full text of the Senators’ letter to Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
- Last week, following numerous roundtable discussions in Kansas City, Topeka, and Wichita with union workers who are literally faced with the decision of job or jab, Senator Marshall requested leaders of the Senate HELP, Agriculture, Small Business, and Energy Committees to hold hearings with Kansas union workers to discuss the vaccine mandates. These workers are at risk of losing their jobs over the mandate and in turn further exacerbating the labor shortage and supply chain crisis, and further stifling economic recovery. You may click HERE or on the image below for a recap video of Senator Marshall’s visits with union workers.
- In September, Senator Marshall spoke on the Senate floor about an amendment he offered to the government spending package to prohibit funding for implementing or enforcing the Biden Administration’s COVID vaccine mandate on private companies. All 50 Senate Republicans supported Senator Marshall’s amendment. You may click HERE to watch Senator Marshall’s remarks.
- In opposition to Biden’s vaccine mandate on businesses, Senator Marshall joined his colleagues in demanding a Congressional Review of President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate on private employees before it goes into effect and oppose this unlawful, unnecessary federal command.
- Senator Marshall joined his colleagues to introduce the Prevent Unconstitutional Vaccine Mandates for Interstate Commerce Act. As the Biden Administration is working to enforce vaccine mandates for businesses merely seeking to engage in interstate commerce, the legislation would protect the privacy of Americans’ personal health information and prohibit the Department of Transportation and other federal agencies from requiring proof of vaccination or the use of a vaccine passport for such activities.
- Senator Marshall helped introduce the Keeping Our COVID-19 Heroes Employed Act to save essential workers from being fired due to President Biden’s sweeping vaccine mandate.
- Senator Marshall questioned U.S. Department of Labor Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training nominee Jose Javier Rodriguez recently on how he plans to handle the upcoming spike in unemployment rates caused by President Biden’s vaccine mandate. You may click HERE to watch the exchange.
- Senator Marshall questioned U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra and U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona on their intent to mandate vaccines for students in public schools despite the possibility of the CDC acknowledging natural immunity. You may click HERE to watch the exchange.
- Senator Marshall penned an op-ed for The Hill, highlighting the importance of T-cell testing and natural immunity research in helping parents make informed decisions on COVID-19 vaccinations.
- Senator Marshall led a letter with 14 other health care providers in Congress to the CDC urging the agency to acknowledge natural immunity from COVID-19. The letter also urges the CDC to work with other federal agencies to ensure all future policies and federally-funded research take into account natural immunity.
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