WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Congresswoman Debbie Lesko (AZ-08) pushed back against Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s announcement that the Department of Defense will require active-duty military personnel to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Her letter also highlights how the decision is a violation of U.S. code, which prohibits the military from requiring vaccination until a vaccine has received full U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval.

“As the representative of thousands of active-duty servicemembers, I am extremely concerned about the Department of Defense’s plan to institute a vaccine mandate for active-duty military personnel,” said Congresswoman Lesko. “I have heard from servicemembers who will be impacted by this decision and they are adamantly opposed to any type of vaccine mandate. Mandating a vaccine that has not received full approval from the FDA is against the law. As long as the COVID-19 vaccines are only approved under Emergency Use Authorization, the Department of Defense does not have the authority to mandate their use. I urge the Biden Administration to reconsider their decision.”

Read the full letter here.

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