At the initiative of the right and against the advice of Democratic President Joe Biden, the Senate abolished the vaccination obligation for American soldiers. The reinstatement of those excluded following a refusal to be vaccinated will, however, remain a decision of the Pentagon.
The American Congress adopted on December 15, by a final vote of the Senate, a text which reconsiders the compulsory vaccination of the military against Covid-19 – within the more general framework of the adoption of a colossal defense budget of 858 billions of dollars. This provision was added against the advice of Democratic President Joe Biden, making it a victory for Republicans, who had threatened not to vote for the bill if they did not obtain satisfaction on this subject.
The vaccination obligation, enacted for the military in August 2021, led to the exclusion of more than 8,000 of them, according to the Pentagon. This health restriction, one of the last major ones still in use in the United States, was intended, according to the Pentagon, to protect the health and the optimal level of preparation of American soldiers. The voted text leaves the Pentagon the choice to reinstate, or not, the dismissed soldiers. Some Republicans wanted to make their return automatic, but that provision did not pass.
Kevin McCarthy, the leader of the Republicans in the House, had argued that the vaccination obligation had undermined recruitment in the army, the Pentagon replying that it did not have data allowing to affirm it. Vaccination obligation “seems to have had a very small impact on recruitment”retorted one of its spokespersons, Sabrina Singh.
Marine Corps boss General David Berger, however, said recruitment may have been hit in some parts of the country due to “myths and false beliefs”while supporting a measure “essential to ensure that we can do our job”.
The text voted on December 15, which finances American defense for the year 2023, has already been adopted by the House of Representatives, and now only needs the signature of American President Joe Biden. It contains, details The Hill$10 billion in military aid and arms sales to Taiwan by 2027, $800 million in aid to Ukraine, as well as $6 billion dedicated to the European Defense Initiative, a program launched in 2014 which aims to strengthen the preparation of American troops stationed on the Old Continent.