U.S. Rep. John Rose Praises Passage of NDAA and the End of Draconian Vaccine Mandate for Military Servicemembers, Calls on President Biden to Apologize

Washington, D.C.—Today, U.S. Representative John Rose (TN-06) praised the passage of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2023, the primary authorization for funding the U.S. Armed Forces and Department of Defense (DoD). Rep. Rose voted in favor of the bill, that passed 350-80, which now heads to the United States Senate, where it awaits further action before becoming law.

The legislation ends the Covid-19 vaccine requirement for military servicemembers, which Rep. Rose has long advocated. He is a cosponsor of Rep. Thomas Massie’s (KY-04) H.R. 3860, which would end the vaccine mandate for any member of the armed forces, and he also signed on to Rep. Massie’s amendment to the NDAA in July, which would do the same.

U.S. Rep. Rose released the following statement:

“Finally, the insanity has ended, and our men and women serving in the armed forces will no longer be subject to such a ridiculous mandate. I have always said that people who wanted the shot should get it, but it should never be forced on anyone. The inclusion of this provision that I have fought so hard for in the NDAA is a step in the right direction, but now it is time for President Biden to re-enlist those soldiers wrongfully discharged, clear their records, and publicly apologize for his and his administration’s egregious mistake.”

Background: Provisions of the bill include: a 4.6% pay increase for servicemembers; a $45 billion increase to President Biden’s woefully inadequate defense budget, which ensures the military grows at a 4% rate above inflation to counteract the negative impacts inflation has had on military readiness; ensures our military can modernize to deter and defeat China, Russia, and other adversaries; fully funds modernization of our nuclear triad; restores funding for nuclear sea-launched cruise missile which was canceled by the Biden Administration’s budget; divests over $6 billion in legacy systems and invests in new systems capable of penetrating Chinese operating environments; rejects President Biden’s plan to shrink the size of the Navy and his attempts to slash funding for critical weapons systems needed to deter adversaries; and reinforces the rights of parents of children attending Department of Defense schools to review curriculum.

Please visit here for more information, including a bill summary and legislative text.

U.S. Representative John Rose is currently serving his second term representing Tennessee's Sixth Congressional District and resides in Cookeville with his wife, Chelsea, and their two sons, Guy and Sam. The Sixth District includes Cannon, Clay, Coffee, Cumberland, DeKalb, Fentress, Jackson, Macon, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, Robertson, Smith, Sumner, Trousdale, White, and Wilson counties as well as portions of Cheatham and Van Buren counties. Representative Rose is an eighth-generation farmer, small business owner, and attorney, and currently serves on the House Financial Services Committee.