Gov. Lee appeals to Congress to end COVID vaccine mandate affecting 800 Tennessee guardsmen

Gov. Bill Lee is leading Republican governors around the country, asking Congress to end a COVID vaccine mandate for the military as recruitment and retention are suffering. So far, no Tennessee guardsmen have been discharged from their duties, but hundreds are still refusing to get the vaccine.

Nationally, the Guard missed its recruiting target by 10%, according to Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Rich Baldwin. He also announced in October that 7,500 members left service.

Unvaccinated guardsmen have been more shielded in Republican-led states. According to a spokesperson, roughly 800 guardsmen in Tennessee have not gotten the COVID shot. And for those who’ve requested exemptions, the U.S. Department of Defense has not approved any, even though Tennessee Guard Commander Maj. Gen. Jeff Holmes signed off on them.

In the letter sent on behalf of the Republican Governors Association, Lee uses President Biden’s own words in an interview in September, saying “the pandemic is over,” to argue that there’s no longer a reason to justify a vaccine mandate.

RGA, appealing to leaders in both parties, is asking for Congress to use the National Defense Authorization Act to intervene or pass a standalone bill.