Protecting the Rights of our Servicemembers
Last week, the House passed the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act. This is the single most important piece of legislation to come out of the Armed Services committees annually. This year’s legislation is named after Senator Inhofe, in honor of his tremendous legacy of serving on this committee and advocating for our servicemembers and the safety and security of our nation. The House and Senate both passed their respective versions earlier this year, and lawmakers have since been discussing the differences. The newly negotiated legislation is expected to next pass the Senate and then head to the president’s desk to be signed into law in the coming weeks.
The NDAA contains many direct benefits for Oklahoma’s Fifth Congressional District, including protecting the vital mission at Tinker Air Force Base and its civilian and military workers who play a critical role in keeping America safe. I also want to highlight another major win. My Republican colleagues and I were successful in including a provision that removed the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for our military service members. The removal of the mandate will protect tens of thousands of skilled and experienced servicemembers from being terminated. This has been a consistent priority of mine since the Department of Defense first announced the mandate. I introduced and supported numerous legislative initiatives and letters seeking its reversal. The removal of the COVID-19 mandate is a huge win for our military preparedness and individual freedoms. I am proud to fight for Oklahomans and protect those who dedicate their lives to protecting America.
When it comes to military readiness and recruitment, removing this shortsighted requirement was critical. The COVID-19 mandate denied religious accommodation requests, in violation of our constitutional rights. Many service members were forced to make tough decisions between personal medical freedom and leaving the military. With increasing threats abroad, it is imperative that we retain highly skilled individuals who cannot be easily or quickly replaced. This is especially true when it comes to special operators, pilots, and others with thousands of hours of training. Furthermore, the mandate also led to recruitment shortages for new personnel. The National Guard had already missed their recruitment goals while the Army fell 10,000 troops short of its 2022 goal. Just last week, Marine Commandant General Berger also said they have faced hurdles while recruiting. Across the board, our military has struggled in its recruitment efforts. Removing the mandate should alleviate some concerns.
In the House, Republicans were determined to craft a strong and bipartisan NDAA that was focused on making our military the best in the world. The annual NDAA authorizes billions of dollars in defense spending for advanced weaponry, aircraft, and equipment that are vital for the safety and future of our great nation. Without strong national security, we would not have the America we know today. It was my honor to ensure that our brave servicemembers’ voices were heard. I will continue working to fight for them and for the safety of the American people in Congress.