5 governors ask Pentagon to reconsider vaccine mandate

The governors of Wyoming, Alaska, Iowa, Mississippi, and Nebraska person asked the Pentagon to reconsider its vaccine mandate for the National Guard.

In a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, the governors assertion the mandate is an overreach of authority. They judge members of the National Guard are not nether the national purview unless they are ordered to behaviour national duties.

Austin mandated vaccines for the full military. However, helium allowed each subdivision to acceptable its ain deadlines.

Army Guardsmen person until June 2022 to go compliant. The Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve had until Dec. 2 to beryllium afloat vaccinated against COVID-19. Austin has said that National Guard members who are not vaccinated hazard losing pay.

The missive is the latest quality betwixt the Pentagon and governors implicit vaccine mandates.

Oklahoma has filed a suit successful national tribunal to artifact the vaccine mandate for the National Guard.

The Pentagon has not publically responded to the governors' letter.