Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-MT) introduced two new amendments to the Department of Defense’s appropriations bill on Monday that target the department’s response to a post-summer surge in COVID-19 cases.
The amendments prohibit the use of funds in the legislation to require a member of the Armed Forces or a civilian employed by the DOD to receive a vaccination against the virus and ban the use of funds in the legislation to enforce mask mandates.
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“Congress has a duty to make our military the most effective fighting force on Earth,” Rosendale said in a statement. “That’s why I’ve filed the following amendments to this year’s defense appropriations bill to ensure our service members have the resources they need to defend our nation successfully.”
The Montana congressman introduced two other amendments to the bill. One prohibits the use of funds in the appropriations bill to aid Ukraine in the war with Russia until a wall on the United States’s southern border with Mexico is complete. The other amendment bans the department from using funds to detain a U.S. citizen pursuant to section 1021 of the National Defense Authorization Act of fiscal 2012.
The House of Representatives is expected to debate the 2024 appropriations bill this week as the lower chamber returns from its August recess. The Senate returned from its break last week. A major spending bill needs to pass both chambers by Sept. 30 to avoid a government shutdown.
The focus on COVID-19 comes as the country sees a rise in cases and the return of mask mandates from businesses and companies in areas with higher transmission rates. First lady Jill Biden tested positive for the virus last week but negative last Thursday.
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The Food and Drug Administration approved the latest round of COVID-19 vaccinations on Monday, including approving a booster shot of the mRNA vaccine for children aged 5 and older if it comes two months after their initial shot.
“The public can be assured that these updated vaccines have met the agency’s rigorous scientific standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality,” said Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.
