The Senate approves the bill that annuls the mandatory vaccination requirement for military personnel

President Joe Biden has a bitter pill to swallow. Despite his personal efforts, the Senate approved, with a large majority of 83-11, the Defense bill that eliminates mandatory vaccinations for the military. However, the Democratic senators managed not to include the reinstatement of those expelled or the return of social benefits to those who refused to be vaccinated.

In addition, congressional Democrats succeeded in blocking a conservative amendment to make the end of mandatory vaccination immediate. As it does not go ahead, it may take weeks before it begins to be implemented. Republican Senator Ron Johnson explained that he voted for the bill because of the more than 8,000 military personnel who lost their jobs for refusing the vaccine.

Agreement with a taste of Democratic defeat

Both parties managed to reach an agreement that tasted like a defeat for the Democrats, especially for President Biden, who made the vaccination of the Armed Forces one of his political priorities. In the end, members of the lower House (it passed 350-80) and now the Senate, acceded to the GOP demand on vaccines in order to move forward with funding ($858 billion) and Pentagon policies for 2023.

The bill also includes a 4.6% increase in military salaries and Defense Department civilian workers, a demand that had become a priority in the face of many soldiers' problems making ends meet due to high inflation and which also prompted the Army to recommend in a guide that personel look to Social Services to request the delivery of food.

Increased aid to Ukraine and Taiwan

For their part, the Democrats succeeded in including an increase of another $800 billion in funding for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative and in allowing the government of Volodymyr Zelenski to delay payments on loans granted by the United States and other countries. Aid for the defense of Taiwan was also approved.