Former Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives Beth Harwell issued a statement in support of the National Guard members who are scheduled to be fired on June 30 due to their refusal to comply with the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
“The Biden Administration’s forced COVID-19 vaccination policy for men and women in the military is absolutely wrong and it’s another example of more overreach by the federal government,” said Harwell.
“I stand with the hundreds of National Guard members who could be removed from service and urge those who can help them to do so,” the former speaker said.
Harwell emphasized that the soldiers should have the right to make their own medical decisions.
“We shouldn’t fire these brave soldiers serving our country by keeping Tennessee safe. They made the decision to serve and I believe they can make their own personal medical decisions,” she added.
Harwell is also a candidate in the August 4 Republican primary for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District seat.
The Tennessee Star previously reported, sources inside the Tennessee National Guard that are calling for Governor Bill Lee to take immediate action because “his adjutant general is about to discharge hundreds of his National Guard soldiers before the end of the month for not complying with an unlawful order.”
“Tennessee is overwhelmingly conservative and heavily pro-life. Many of our National Guardsman feel the same way and would be willing to forfeit their military careers rather than violate their moral convictions. The DoD established a policy for religious exemptions, but the Army designated the surgeon general as the final approval authority; not a chaplain or even a commanding officer who would have a personal connection with the soldier and understand their sincerity,” one source said.
“To date, less than 200 total exemptions have been granted in the entire U.S. military; nearly all of those were for service members who were already on their way out. Many of the remaining soldiers who have filed for exemptions stated that they now feel isolated and that their leaders show open hostility toward them for not compromising their deeply held beliefs by taking something they find morally objectionable,” another source added.
Federal laws including the Equal Opportunity Act and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act prohibit discrimination against employees (including the military) on religious grounds.
“These laws are not only being ignored; they are currently being intentionally violated. It needs to stop,” an unnamed soldier said.
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Aaron Gulbransen is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected]. Follow Aaron on GETTR, Twitter, Truth Social, and Parler.
Photo “Beth Harwell” by Beth Harwell. Background Photo “The National Guard” by The National Guard. CC BY 2.0.
