Rep. Lamborn: DoD Should Not Disregard the 1st Amendment Rights of U.S. Service Members

Statement

During the House Armed Services Committee's hearing concerning the Department of the Army FY23 Budget Request, Congressman Doug Lamborn questioned U.S. Army Chief of Staff General McConville as to the status of COVID-19 vaccine exemptions filed by U.S. service members who have requested a religious or medical exemption from the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

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Congressman Lamborn asks questions about retention and vaccine exemptions during the HASC full committee hearing on May 12, 2022.

Congressman Lamborn issued the following statement:
"Yesterday, the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army told members of the House Armed Services Committee that one of his top concerns is the retention of soldiers, a serious issue across the military branches. Despite this concern, my office has received requests from dozens of active-duty soldiers, sailors, airmen, guardians, marines, and cadets seeking exemptions from receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Many have shared that nearly six months after they filed for religious and medical exemptions and have not received a response from their respective leadership on this issue. I have also heard from members of the military in my district, who are requesting assistance with their involuntary separation from the military following disapproval of a religious exemption. In response to my question in yesterday's hearing, General McConville testified that the U.S. Army has only approved eight religious exemptions and 22 medical exemptions out of the thousands that have been submitted. I am concerned that this number is shockingly low.

"America is a nation founded on the principle of liberty, and service members have a fundamental right to their sincerely held religious beliefs. It is fundamentally an individual's right to choose whether to get vaccinated. It should be possible to both protect religious liberty while also protecting the health of our service members. I have requested more information from the Department of Defense and will continue working to protect the constitutional rights of our nation's heroes."

Watch Congressman Lamborn's exchange with U.S. Army Chief of Staff General McConville here.

In November, Congressman Lamborn and 47 of his colleagues sent a letter to President Biden and Secretary Austin regarding the administration's vaccine mandate and the negative consequences it will likely have on our military readiness, the defense industrial base, and defense communities around the country.

In January, Congressman Lamborn joined 37 House Republicans led by Representative Mike Johnson and 9 Senators led by Senator Ted Cruz in filing an Amicus Brief before the Court in support of 35 Navy service members seeking religious accommodations.

Additionally, Congressman Lamborn led an amendment to the FY2022 NDAA, requiring the Secretary of Defense to establish uniform standards under which service members may be exempted from receiving the COVID-19 vaccine for administrative, religious, and medical (including antibodies). Read the press release and text of the amendment here.

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