Why Marsha Blackburn is still pushing to drop COVID vaccine mandate for the military

Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn is helping lead an effort to reverse the mandate that servicemembers get the COVID vaccine. Republicans pushed for the concession in exchange for their votes on the defense spending bill that has to pass by the end of the year. Their suggested language was included in the text of the bill released Tuesday night.

Blackburn has made several appearances on cable news in recent weeks to argue against requiring the COVID shot.

“Bear in mind, COVID vaccine is not like any of those vaccines you think of with polio or smallpox,” she said on Fox News Friday, without explaining how the vaccine was different. “This is a shot.”

Blackburn’s office has not responded to a WPLN News request for clarification about what makes the COVID shot any more objectionable than other vaccines.

There are at least eight other vaccines service members already have to take, including seasonal influenza and adenovirus. And depending on their military job, many have to get vaccinated against yellow fever, anthrax and even rabies.

Even in its letters to the Secretary of Defense, Blackburn and other Republican senators have not made a medical case against requiring the COVID shot or questioning its effectiveness. Rather, they’ve pointed to recruiting targets that are not being met.

“While we’re depleting our ranks, the New Axis of Evil grows bolder by the day,” Blackburn wrote in late November, referring to China, Iran, Russia and North Korea.

Secretary Lloyd Austin has stood firm on the mandate, as recently as this week pointing out hundreds of Defense Department personnel who died from the virus.

“This mandate has kept people healthy,” he said Saturday. “I support continuation of vaccinating the troops.”

While Blackburn and other Republicans are pushing for the COVID shot to be dropped, they have not proposed how to handle the hundreds of service members who’ve already been discharged for refusing. According to Military.com, many may want to re-enlist or seek compensation. The current language of the defense spending bill does not require the Pentagon to reinstate anyone.

Update: This story has been updated to include Tuesday night’s publication of language in the National Defense Authorization Act.