Service members who refused the COVID 'jab' would get their jobs back and back pay, too, under new GOP bill

FIRST ON FOX: A brace of Republicans are introducing authorities that would connection work members who were fired implicit the military’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate a accidental to get their jobs backmost and person backmost pay. 

The AMERICANS Act, enactment distant by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and freshman Rep. Pat Harrigan, R-N.C., bans the Pentagon from instituting immoderate further COVID-19 vaccine mandates without legislature approval. 

It would connection reinstatement to immoderate work subordinate discharged solely for their refusal of the COVID vaccine and recognition them for the clip of their involuntary separation for status pay, 

TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM PETE HEGSETH'S SENATE CONFIRMATION HEARING

It would besides reconstruct the fertile of anyone who was demoted implicit the vaccine mandate, offering them backmost wage and benefits for immoderate compensation they mislaid arsenic a effect of their demotion. 

For those who bash not privation to rejoin service, it would reconstruct their discharge to "honorable" to reconstruct their GI Bill and wellness attraction benefits. 

In August 2021, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced a request that troops instrumentality the COVID-19 jab for "readiness" purposes. That bid was rescinded successful January 2023 aft lawmakers directed the Pentagon to bash truthful successful the yearly defence argumentation measure Congress passed for that year. 

More than 8,400 troops were separated successful the twelvemonth and a fractional that the bid was successful effect. Thousands of others sought spiritual oregon aesculapian exemptions. 

Austin’s repeal did not necessitate the Pentagon to reinstate troops separated due to the fact that of the mandate and stipulated that commanders would inactive person the authorization to see troops’ immunization presumption erstwhile making decisions connected deployments oregon different assignments. He added that 96% of U.S. forces had taken the vaccine. 

"Our subject is inactive dealing with the consequences of the Biden administration’s wrongful COVID-19 vaccine mandate," Cruz said successful a statement. "The AMERICANS Act would supply remedies for servicemembers whom the Biden Department of Defense punished for lasting by their convictions. It’s the close happening to do."

DEM SENATOR WHO BASHED HEGSETH'S QUALIFICATIONS STANDS BY DOD SEC WHO OVERSAW BOTCHED AFGHAN WITHDRAWAL

"The Biden Administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate wasn’t astir subject oregon readiness—it was astir control," said Harrigan. "As a Green Beret, I’ve seen the sacrifices our work members marque firsthand, and I volition not basal by portion their grant is tarnished." 

The authorities is successful enactment with a pledge President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for Defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, made connected Tuesday to re-recruit those who parted ways with the subject implicit the vaccine. 

"Service members who were kicked retired due to the fact that of the experimental vaccine," Hegseth told lawmakers, "they volition beryllium apologized to. They volition beryllium reinstituted with wage and rank."

Trump told supporters implicit the summertime helium would "rehire each patriot who was fired from the military" due to the fact that of the mandate. 

Pentagon enactment considered offering backmost wage to troops aft the vaccine mandate was rescinded successful aboriginal 2023, but it ne'er came to fruition.

Republicans person long railed against the vaccine mandate and the separations it caused, arguing it was a detriment to morale astatine a clip of large recruitment issues. Pentagon leaders argued that their forces had been required to get vaccines for years, peculiarly if they deployed overseas.