Congress and the White House are mulling proposals from top lawmakers to repeal the U.S. militaryâs vaccine mandate several months after President Joe Biden declared the COVID-19 pandemic to be âover,â according to recent media reports.
Congressâ annual defense bill, the text of which is set to be published next week, may include a compromise amendment scrapping the military vaccine requirement, Democratic Rep. Adam Smith of Washington told Politico on Saturday. Smithâs comments followed prospective House leader Republican Rep. Kevin McCarthyâs claims on Friday that House and Senate leaders had come to an agreement, which the White House is considering, on overturning the Biden administrationâs service-wide mandate, according to Reuters.
President Joe Biden, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and McCarthy had negotiated a bipartisan agreement to end the mandate, McCarthy told Fox News on Friday evening.