A provision added to the upcoming National Defense Authorization Act to end the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for members of the military came as the result of bipartisan, bicameral support and is necessary to help resolve the falling recruitment and retention numbers being seen in all of the military's branches, Sen. Marsha Blackburn said on Newsmax Wednesday.
"We have worked on this for six months since we had the NDAA at the Senate Armed Services Committee," the Tennessee Republican said on Newsmax's "National Report. " My amendments failed in the summer during the NDAA markup, but since then have gained broad bipartisan, bicameral support to say that until you meet these recruiting goals, you cannot implement the vaccine mandate."
The vaccine mandate, she continued, did not reflect that many people have natural immunity because they have had COVID.
"We know that the vaccine, the shot does not keep you from contracting COVID," Blackburn added. "Because of this, we felt it was appropriate to move forward with lifting that mandate."
The NDAA will pass through the House most likely this week before heading to the Senate, where Blackburn said she anticipates it will pass quickly.
Blackburn also spoke about the protests in China and the news that the government there plans to back away from some of the stricter zero-COVID provisions as a result.
"What we're learning is that people are only going to endure lockdowns, mandates, and these authoritarian policies for so long," said Blackburn. "You are seeing the Chinese people step up. And they're pushing back on the lockdowns, the mandates. They are fighting not only for their freedom, but they are fighting for their lives, and they're pushing back on this."
It's important for the United States to stand behind the Chinese people as they stand up against the Chinese Communist Party's human rights abuses, she added.
Also on Wednesday, Blackburn spoke out about Republican candidate Herschel Walker's loss in Georgia to Democrat incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock.
"Herschel ran a great race," said Blackburn. "He and his wife, Julie, have campaigned every single day. My hat is off to them for how hard they worked.
"I had the opportunity to be out campaigning with them several different times and have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them and getting to work with them. I am just really disappointed in the results from last night.
"I applaud Herschel and Julie for making this race [competitive] and we as Republicans are going to continue to fight back against the bad policies of this administration."
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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