Congress has reached a compromise in this year’s National Defense Authorization Act to fund the military that will repeal the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

The annual funding bill is up for a vote this week.  Republicans have threatened to withhold military funding if the mandate isn’t repealed.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said:

“I told the President, I was very clear from the very beginning, if he wants the NDAA, you have got to lift the vaccinate mandate on our military men and women. Why? They are not meeting the recruitment goals right now because of this. People are leaving.”

Marine Corps General David Berger has warned that the vaccine mandate is a major factor in the military’s declining recruitment.

“Where it is having an impact for sure is on recruiting, where in parts of the country there’s still myths and misbeliefs about the back story behind it,” Gen. David Berger said

According to U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn, the Army fell short of its goal by 10,000 soldiers and projects a deficit of 21,000 soldiers for 2023.

However, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, that imposed the vaccine mandate in 2021, has said that there is no hard data indicating the mandate is impacting recruitment.

Democrat Representative Marc Veasey of Texas said part of the reason that Democrats were willing to compromise is that “The politics on that have changed.”

President Joe Biden’s White House slammed Congress’ move as a mistake.