Washington, D.C.–U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) is prioritizing pro-military legislation aimed at refocusing priorities and strengthening readiness during the 118thCongress.
“Our military should continue to focus on combatting increasing national security threats, not advancing distracting agendas and radical ideologies,” said Crapo. “While the Department of Defense ending its vaccine mandate for servicemembers is a welcome first step, we must continue to push for the repeal of all related penalties and forced separations from the military previously imposed on our women and men of our Armed Forces.”
His latest efforts to strengthen and refocus the military include:
- Crapo joined Republican Senate colleagues in reintroducing the Allowing Military Exemptions, Recognizing Individual Concerns About New Shots(AMERICANS) Act of 2023. The Act builds on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2023, which included language to repeal COVID-19 vaccine mandates for servicemembers. The bill would prohibit the Department of Defense (DOD) from issuing a replacement COVID-19 vaccine mandate without congressional approval, reinstate any servicemember discharged solely for his or her COVID-19 vaccine status who wants to return to service, restore the rank of any servicemember demoted solely for COVID-19 vaccine status, and compensate servicemembers for any pay and benefits lost as a result of that demotion.
- Crapo is a co-sponsor of the Restoring Military Focus Act. The act would eliminate the position of the Chief Diversity Officer of the DOD, prohibit the establishment of similar positions such as a Senior Advisor for Diversity and Inclusion and prohibit the use of federal funds to establish a Chief Diversity Officer or a Senior Advisor for Diversity and Inclusion at the DOD.
- The Focus on the Mission Act legislation would stop the DOD from requiring the recipient of a federal contract to provide a greenhouse gas inventory or to provide any other report on greenhouse gas emissions. Crapo joined U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and 15 other Republican Senators in sponsoring the bill.
“The financial situation in our nation is dire, and continuing to increase the burden on American taxpayers while driving up the national debt to fund unproven, partisan agendas within the U.S. military is an egregious disservice to our country,” Crapo continued. “I proudly sponsor legislation that will increase our military’s readiness while maintaining focus on the task at hand: protecting our nation and its people from the threat and attack of bad actors.”