GOP governors challenge Pentagon over Guard vaccine mandate

GOP governors challenge Pentagon over Guard vaccine mandate

SeattlePI.com

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AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas' Republican governor on Thursday told Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin that the state will not direct its National Guard members to comply with a Biden administration order requiring all members of the military to get vaccinated for COVID-19, as GOP opposition to the mandate grows.

Gov. Greg Abbott, who has become one of the nation's most outspoken governors in the rejection of vaccine mandates of any kind, told the Texas National Guard in October that its more than 20,000 members were included in his executive orders banning any governmental entity from imposing vaccine mandates.

Texas has the largest National Guard contingent of any state and hasn't disclosed how many of its members are vaccinated.

Abbott's latest beef with the Biden administration came after five other GOP governors sent Austin a milder letter this week urging him to reconsider the requirements for Guard members on state active duty, when they are under their governor's orders but are still funded by the federal government.

Oklahoma's Republican governor has already sued the Defense Department over the vaccine mandate, and Abbott indicated that Texas could do the same.

“If unvaccinated guardsmen suffer any adverse consequences within the State of Texas, they will have only President Biden and his Administration to blame,” Abbott said.

Neither Abbott nor the Texas Guard immediately responded to inquiries about the number of vaccinated members. Lisa Lawrence, a spokeswoman for the Defense Department, said they would respond to the letters from Abbott and other governors in due course.

Austin has said repeatedly that getting the vaccine is critical to maintaining a heathy, ready force that can be prepared to defend the nation. He decided that Guard members who refuse COVID-19...

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