A group of Republican senators, led by Senator Rick Scott (R-FL), introduced legislation on Thursday to address what they describe as “unjust penalties” faced by military service members who sought religious exemptions from the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
The bill, titled the “RESTORE Act,” would require the Department of Defense (DOD) to establish a Special Review Board. This board would be tasked with auditing the service-wide handling of religious accommodation requests related to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate under the Biden administration.
According to the senators, the purpose of the review board is to identify service members who were unjustly penalized and correct any career harm they may have suffered. This includes potential remedies such as backdated promotions and the reinstatement of benefits.
Congressman Ronny Jackson (R-TX) is leading a companion version of the legislation in the House of Representatives.
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“Biden’s DOD placed a ridiculous vaccine mandate on the great men and women who served our nation, kicking American heroes out of our service for refusing to comply for health or religious reasons,” Scott said in a statement. “President Trump is already working to right these wrongs, but we must make sure every service member who lost their livelihood due to this overreaching mandate has the chance to serve their nation once again.”
Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), a co-sponsor, highlighted the ongoing impact on service members. “American servicemembers are still facing unjust consequences for personal religious decisions that caused them to reject the Biden administration’s coercive COVID-19 vaccine mandates, including being denied promotions and receiving negative performance reviews,” Cruz stated. “Under the RESTORE Act, these wrongs would be corrected for the men and women in uniform.”
Senator Katie Britt (R-AL) noted the bill builds upon previous legislative efforts.
“I’m proud to support the RESTORE Act, which directly addresses the previous administration’s mishandling of religious accommodation requests and aims to remedy the unjust consequences experienced by thousands of dedicated men and women in uniform,” Britt said. “This legislation builds upon the AMERICANS Act, of which I am also a proud cosponsor. I’m honored to stand with Senator Cruz and my colleagues in our continued efforts to restore fairness and justice for military service members harmed by the Biden Administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.”
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“President Trump and Secretary Hegseth are on a mission to fix what Joe Biden and Lloyd Austin did to our brave men and women in uniform,” Congressman Ronny Jackson said. “This bill gives the Trump Administration the authority to investigate and finally deliver justice to the thousands of servicemembers who stood their ground and stayed in uniform after filing Religious Accommodation Requests from the COVID-19 vaccine. These heroes were wrongfully punished for their religious convictions—passed over for promotions, slapped with unfair evaluations, and pressured to cave. Those actions were absolutely wrong, and Congress must provide Secretary Hegseth with the authorities and tools he needs to make it right!”
The introduction of the RESTORE Act signifies a continued legislative effort to revisit the policies and consequences surrounding the military’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The act specifically focuses on the handling of religious exemptions and the alleged impact on service members’ careers.
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