WASHINGTON, DC – United States President Joe Biden and his administration are moving closer to mandating COVID-19 vaccinations. Today, the Secretary of Defense, Llyod Austin said the COVID-19 vaccine will soon be required by all U.S. military personnel.
According to a CNN report, Secretary Austin’s “inclination is towards making the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory”.
In order for Austin to fully vaccinate all of America’s military service members, he would need Presidential authorization first.
“The Pentagon previously indicated it was likely to wait for FDA approval before making inoculation against Covid-19 mandatory, but Biden’s push for greater vaccination levels created pressure to move more quickly and will likely lead the Pentagon to request a presidential waiver,” CNN reported.
Biden also is working on a path to force mandatory vaccinations for all Americans.
The President said he is currently looking into the legality of the U.S. federal government to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for its citizens. For now, Biden says that local authorities should move in that direction, but he has inquired to see if the federal government can force mandatory vaccinations.
“I’d like to see them continue to move in that direction and that’s why I pointed out I had asked the justice department to determine whether that they’re able to do that legally,” President Biden said. “They can. Local communities can do that. Local businesses can do that. It’s still a question of whether the federal government can mandate the whole country. I don’t know that yet.”
Last week Biden announced a new mandate that requires proof of vaccination for millions of federal workers.
“Federal workers will be required to sign forms attesting they’ve been vaccinated against the coronavirus or else comply with new rules on mandatory masking, weekly testing, distancing and more,” the Associated Press reported. “The strict new guidelines are aimed at increasing sluggish vaccination rates among the huge number of Americans who draw federal paychecks — and to set an example for private employers around the country.”
“Right now, too many people are dying or watching someone they love die and say, ‘If I’d just got the vaccine,’” Biden said, reinforcing his stance. “This is an American tragedy. People are dying who don’t have to die.”