What’s happening: Nineteen GOP U.S. Senators have introduced a bill to reinstate military members who were fired or demoted as a result of the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The legislation would restore their rank if they were demoted, compensate pay and benefit deductions from demotions, and credit all impacted service members with involuntary separation time when calculating retirement pay.

Military mandate impact: Reports highlight that while the vast majority of the military complied with the mandate, thousands still faced repercussions for not complying. Over 8,400 soldiers were discharged for not receiving the shot. And while there were thousands of soldiers who applied for exemptions, only nine religious exemptions and 22 medical exemptions were approved as of May 2022.

Zoom out: In addition to military members, healthcare workers throughout the nation were impacted by the vaccine mandates. About 34,000 healthcare personnel were fired because of the mandate in New York state alone. A record 4.4 million individuals quit their corporate jobs as Biden’s attempted vaccine mandate and other local mandates swept throughout workplaces.

The precedent: It’s now widely understood that the vaccine did not effectively prevent transmission, which even Anthony Fauci admitted. This has led the courts to rule in favor of unvaccinated personnel fired for not complying with the mandates. The New York Supreme Court reinstated unvaccinated workers in New York City to their positions with backpay, citing that “being vaccinated does not prevent an individual from contracting or transmitting COVID-19.”