The newly minted defense authorization bill for fiscal 2023, made public Tuesday night, provides a shot in the arm to the U.S. defense budget but bars the military from discharging any more troops who refuse COVID-19 vaccine shots in their arms.
The new NDAA rescinds an August 2021 Pentagon mandate for the services to require COVID vaccinations for most troops but does not require reinstatement of personnel who have been separated from service for refusing a jab.
The measure would bring the Senate’s authorization for national defense programs to $857.9 billion, all but $10.6 billion of it in this bill. That overall figure includes $22.3 billion for the National Nuclear Security Administration and $6.8 billion for the Department of Energy’s environmental cleanup efforts.
