Sen. Cramer, Colleagues Defend Service Members from Vaccine Punishment with AMERICANS Act

Press Release

U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, joined Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) in introducing the Allowing Military Exemptions, Recognizing Individual Concerns About New Shots (AMERICANS) Act of 2022. The legislation counters the Biden Administration's efforts to coerce and punish service members who decline the COVID-19 vaccine, and introduces accountability measures in response to the Department of Defense efforts to undermine transparency.

This bill would require the Secretary of Defense to make every effort to retain unvaccinated service members, strengthen language to ensure service members receive discharge classifications commensurate with their record of service, require the Department of Defense to report the number and type of COVID-19 vaccine religious exemptions that have been denied, and create an exemption from COVID-19 vaccine requirements for service members with natural immunity. The act would also protect service academy students and Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) members in the same way.

"Americans, especially our brave servicemen and women, should not be required to show personal medical records to do their jobs. The Biden Administration is using the COVID-19 vaccine as a tool to implement their far-left agenda infringing on the morals and religious beliefs of servicemembers. The AMERICANS Act is a step in the right direction to protect our soldiers from COVID vaccine mandates," said Senator Cramer.

"It is absolutely unacceptable that the Biden Administration is trying to coerce our men and women in uniform to violate their conscience and religious beliefs, let alone on an issue as polarizing as the COVID-19 vaccine. The AMERICANS Act will ensure that these and similar efforts to politicize our military on this issue are blocked," said Senator Cruz.

Joining Senators Cramer and Cruz are Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Rand Paul (R-KY), John Hoeven (R-ND), James Lankford (R-OK), James Risch (R-ID), Rick Scott (R-FL), Mike Braun (R-IN), and Steve Daines (R-MT).

Click here for bill text.

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