Congressman Barry Moore (R-AL02) joined the Service Restoration Act on Monday. The legislation will permanently end the COVID-19 military vaccine mandate, protect unvaccinated servicemembers, and ensure that those service members who were fired for not complying with President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate can return to serving their country with honor.
“Many of those purged from the military are from my district, patriots who were ready to give it all for our freedom, only to have their livelihoods stripped away because of a politically motivated, unscientific mandate,” Rep. Moore said in a press release. “They deserve to be restored to good standing and given full backpay, and that’s what I’m fighting for.”
The bill was introduced by Congressman Chip Roy.
“Thanks to the hard work of many of my Republican colleagues, the Biden administration’s disastrous COVID-19 vaccine mandate was finally ended,” said Rep. Roy. “But there is more work to be done. Republicans must fight to permanently end these mandates and make whole all the service members harmed by President Biden’s senseless policies. I’ve introduced the Service Restoration Act to do just that.”
The DOD’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate was repealed in the FY20323 NDAA that passed in the 117th Congress. This legislation would protect service members who chose not to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
The Service Restoration Act prohibits federal funds from being used to require members of the Armed Forces to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. It also prohibits the DOD from taking adverse action against unvaccinated service members. It requires the Secretary to reinstate members of the Armed Forces who wish to return to duty at the same rank as when separated. If a service member does elect to be reinstated, their time separated from the military will be counted towards their retirement benefits. It also requires the Secretary to expunge from service members’ record any disciplinary action taken due to refusing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and ensures those separated from the Armed Forces for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine receive an Honorable discharge.
The White House and the Pentagon has opposed efforts to lift the mandates. A spokesperson for the DoD said that the issue is readiness. With Democrats in control of the Senate and the President opposed, it is unlikely that this can pass as stand-alone legislation.
The COVID-19 vaccine remains very controversial even to this day – more than two years after it was made available to the public.
Moore has been staunchly opposed to the vaccine mandate and has continued calling for the reinstatement with full backpay of members discharged for refusal to submit to the vaccination. Moore is in his second term in the U.S. House of Representatives. He previously served in the Alabama House of Representatives.
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