The potential loss of National Guard troops who refuse to be vaccinated against COVID-19 poses a national security threat, Rep. Vicky Hartzler told Newsmax on Tuesday.
"Earlier this month we had 40,000 National Guard troops and 22,000 reservists who received letters that they were no longer going to receive benefits from the military, and they are at risk of being kicked out," the Missouri Republican, who is running to represent the state in the U.S. Senate, said. "This comprises 13% of the Guard and 12% of the reservists. I tell you we cannot afford to lose these outstanding men and women who have served our nation for so many years."
About 89% of National Guard members have gotten at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, with 87% being fully inoculated, and with Reservists, 89% have had at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and 88% are fully vaccinated.
"I was with a National Guard unit last week, and there's a potential of a severe loss of members of the Guard in that unit," said Hartzler. "The commander told me, 'I cannot lose these individuals.' This is a national security threat, and it makes absolutely no sense."
The health risk for COVID-19 is more for older, unhealthy people, said Hartzler, not younger, healthier people, but at the same time, "we have national security concerns all over the world."
"I'm a senior member of the Armed Services Committee, and I tell you we need every man and woman right now," she said. "We are facing a crisis in recruitment … why are we kicking them out on the backside? It makes absolutely no sense."
Hartzler said she sent a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin demanding answers about the vaccination issue, but "he has ignored it."
"I offered an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act in committee a few weeks ago saying that you can't kick them out if they have natural immunity, but they are ignoring that issue," said Hartzler. "[In a] law that we passed in an earlier Defense Authorization Act, the military has to have a uniform policy for religious exemptions, and they have to consider natural immunity, and they have ignored the law."
Further, people who have had COVID-19 over the past few months likely have higher levels of antibodies in their systems than someone who got a vaccine over a year ago, Hartzler said.
"It makes absolutely no sense why we are kicking these patriots out of our military, and it has to be stopped," she said.
Meanwhile, the Missouri primary is next week, and according to the polls, Hartzler and Attorney General Eric Schmitt are in a dead heat for the GOP nomination. Former Gov. Eric Greitens is in third place, with only a few percentage points separating them.
Hartzler said her campaign is doing a statewide tour, and she is speaking about her track record as a lifelong conservative who has been endorsed by Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., almost all the agriculture organizations, and the Susan B. Anthony list.
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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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