Austin News

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz has introduced the Allowing Military Exemptions, Recognizing Individual Concerns About New Shots (AMERICANS) Act of 2025. This legislation aims to address the impact of the Department of Defense's COVID-19 vaccine mandate on military servicemembers. The bill builds on previous efforts by Cruz to repeal the mandate, which was part of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2023.

Senator Cruz stated, "Our military is still dealing with the consequences of the Biden administration’s wrongful COVID-19 vaccine mandate. I led the successful charge for Congress to repeal that mandate, and there is still more to be done. My AMERICANS Act provides remedies for servicemembers punished by the Biden Department of Defense for standing by their convictions."

Representative Pat Harrigan also voiced his support, saying, "The Biden Administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate wasn’t about science or readiness—it was about control. It was a betrayal of our service members, punishing thousands of patriots for standing by their values and weakening our military at a time of global uncertainty." He added that over 8,400 service members were discharged due to this mandate.

Cruz's proposed legislation seeks several remedies for affected servicemembers. These include offering reinstatement with retirement pay calculations adjusted for involuntary separation time and restoring ranks and compensating those demoted solely due to their vaccination status. Additionally, it proposes changing discharge statuses from "general" to "honorable" where applicable and expunging adverse actions from records related solely to vaccination status.

The AMERICANS Act also includes provisions for retaining unvaccinated servicemembers while ensuring they receive equal professional development opportunities as their peers. Furthermore, it establishes an exemption process based on natural immunity, health conditions, or religious beliefs.

Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), and Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) have joined Senator Cruz in introducing this legislation in Congress.

In parallel with Senator Cruz's efforts in the Senate, Representative Pat Harrigan is leading a companion bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.