The Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Thursday, sending the bill to the White House for Joe Biden to scrawl his “X” and transform it into law (see Senate Approves 2023 National Defense Authorization Act). The White House hints that it may not sign the bill because one provision forbids the Department of Defense from requiring members of the Armed Forces to receive the COVID vaccine. This “vaccine,” we now know, is barely prophylaxis. It doesn’t prevent people from getting so sick that they require hospitalization (CDC: 39% of hospitalizations are vaxxed and boosted), and it doesn’t stop the spread of the disease between persons (Healthline: You can still spread COVID after a vaccine).

Implementing the COVID vaccine in the military has been shameful, if not outright criminal. In the past, when experimental drugs were ordered to be used in the military, federal courts stepped in to slap down the requirement. This was the case with the anthrax vaccine in 2004. It was only after that vaccine had completed Phase III clinical trials demonstrating that it was safe and effective that the legal ban was lifted. At that time, the Pentagon began vaccinating troops based on their potential exposure to that virus.

Not so with COVID, the blind, politically induced panic resulted in hundreds of thousands of members of the Armed Forces being vaccinated against their will with a substance of dubious safety and efficacy. Even though a process to request an exemption was established. It was a joke (read Meet the 19-Year Air Force Vet Booted Just Before Retirement Over Refusal to Get COVID Vax). The Navy, for instance, filled out the rejection forms while they issued the application to a sailor. In one case, a chaplain was denied a religious exemption. As a result of this bureaucratic brutality, over 8,000 trained members of the military have been discharged for refusal to take the COVID vaccine, even as recruiting and retention numbers continue to crater.

During the consideration of the NDAA, Senator Ron Johnson offered an amendment, co-sponsored by Texas Senator Ted Cruz, that would reinstate those discharged because of failure to get the COVID vaccine and require payment of back pay. This is only just. The military imposed a dangerous vaccine upon its troops; it set up a fraudulent system for requesting an exemption and then vindictively persecuted those dishonestly deprived of a legal exemption.

This seems like simple justice.

So it was no shock when the amendment went down in defeat 40-54. Voting against the provisions were four Republican senators: Bill Cassidy (Louisiana), Susan Collins (shocked face), Mitt Romney (of course), and Mike Rounds (South Dakota). Quite honestly, I’m not surprised at Susan Collins and Mitt Romney screwing over people acting out of principle. They’ve made a career of loathing people like that. Mike Rounds has refused to explain his vote, probably hoping the stench will dissipate quicker if he just shuts up (SPOILER ALERT: it won’t). Bill Cassidy had this to say, according to The Daily Signal:

“These were direct orders from commanding officers,” Cassidy said in a statement to The Daily Signal on the vaccine mandate. “I voted to end the COVID vaccine mandate in the military but it is not Congress’s place to intervene in the chain of command and set a precedent for military personnel to ignore direct orders.”

I don’t think invoking the “I was only following orders” defense as national policy is a particularly bright thing to do, but you be you, Senator.

Even though these four votes would not have changed the outcome, they would have put the GOP on record in favor of justice for the individual citizen over the power interests of government and the financial interests of Pharma. Yet, somehow they couldn’t be bothered to do that. Making matters worse, there is no one lined up to challenge any of these clowns in their primary…and even if there were, Mitch McConnell would pull out all the stops to defeat the challenger or, failing that, to hand the election to the Democrats.