Defense Secretary dismisses Republican governors’ objections to National Guard vaccine mandate

By Oren Liebermann, CNN

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin dismissed the objections of seven Republican governors to the National Guard vaccine mandate, asserting his authority to set military medical requirements for the entire armed forces, including guard units.

In nearly identical letters sent to the governors late last week, Austin wrote that their concerns “do not negate the need for this important military readiness requirement.”

The responses, first reported by the Associated Press, are similar to the letter Austin wrote in late-November to Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, the first Republican governor to challenge the vaccine mandate. But instead of warning that failure to vaccinate “may lead to a prohibition on the member’s participation in drills and training,” Austin now writes that it “will lead to a prohibition.

Austin sent the letters to the governors of Texas, Alaska, Iowa, Idaho, Wyoming, Mississippi, and Nebraska, who objected to the vaccine mandate in letters written to the Defense Secretary in mid-December. The governors argued that they are the commanders-in-chief of their state National Guard units when they are operating under state orders, known as Title 32. The President is the commander-in-chief when National Guard units operate under federal orders, known as Title 10.

But Austin said that “regardless of duty status,” he has the responsibility and the authority to set medical requirements, and they apply whether a unit is under state or federal orders. Austin’s response comes nearly six weeks after the governors objected to the mandate.

The governors of Texas and Alaska also filed suit against the vaccine mandate, asking a judge to overturn or bar its enforcement. Austin wrote that he could not comment more about their concerns because of the pending litigation.

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