Robert Besser
10 Dec 2022, 06:56 GMT+10
WASHINGTON D.C.: The White House said the administration of President Joe Biden is considering a proposal from Republican leader Kevin McCarthy to repeal the U.S. military's COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
In an interview with Fox News, McCarthy, who is the top Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives and seeks to become Speaker, said he had won bipartisan agreement to lift the mandate at a White House meeting with Biden, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell.
The mandate will be potentially repealed as part of the $817 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), an annual Pentagon bill-setting policy that is expected to pass the Senate and House of Representatives this month, he added.
However, Biden had only agreed to consider the idea, the White House stressed.
"Leader McCarthy raised this with the president, and the president told him he would consider it. The secretary of defense has recommended retaining the mandate, and the president supports his position. Discussions about the NDAA are ongoing," White House spokesperson Olivia Dalton said.
Imposed in August 2021, the mandate requires all U.S. service members to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
in the interview, McCarthy said, "You know what I was able to achieve in that meeting? To be able to, we are going to see in the NDAA lift the vaccination mandate on our military men and women."
Republican conservatives, including several House lawmakers who are threatening to block McCarthy from becoming speaker when Republicans take control of the chamber on 3rd January, have strongly opposed the Pentagon's vaccine mandate.
Get a daily dose of Atlanta Leader news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Atlanta Leader.
More InformationIn a report by The New York Times, it has been revealed that Israeli officials had obtained a detailed battle ...
NAYPYIDAW, Myanmar: Kyar Win, spokesperson for the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, which launched a surprise offensive last month against ...
While Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has been frantically shuttling around the Middle East trying to stop the Israeli coflict ...
LESBOS, Greece: Greek authorities said a cargo ship sank off the island of Lesbos over the weekend during a storm, ...
COLUMBUS, Ohio: To stop the spread of bird flu, more than 1.3 million chickens will be killed on Ohio's Union ...
In a devastating turn of events, Israel's war on Gaza, sparked by Hamas's unprecedented attacks on October 7, has resulted ...
LONDON - Health experts and tobacco campaigners have strongly criticized New Zealand's decision to repeal laws that aimed to ban ...
NEW YORK, New York - The Dow Jones index was the standout on U.S. financial markets on Thursday with a ...
WASHINGTON D.C.: Despite the ongoing economic uncertainty, major discounts during the Thanksgiving weekend enticed U.S. shoppers, who spent some US$38 ...
BANGKOK, Thailand: This week, Thailand's Deputy Finance Minister Krisada Chinavicharana said after a weaker-than-expected third quarter, the country will downgrade ...
BEIJING, China: The country's commerce ministry said that during a meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Ho ...
NEW YORK, New York - Retreating bond yields and a higher-then-expected GDP reading for the third quarter boosted U.S. stocks ...