Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), delivered remarks at a press conference today on the COVID-19 Vaccine Dishonorable Discharge Prevention Act, legislation to prohibit the Department of Defense (DOD) from giving servicemembers a dishonorable discharge for choosing not to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Excerpts and a full video are below.
“We’re advocating for their religious freedoms while they’re actually willing to die for ours.”
“I’ve been hearing from my constituents that serve. I’ve been hearing from the moms of some of my young constituents who serve. They’re very concerned about this. It’s not a trifling matter to them. This is not some sort of a macho standoff. This is a heartfelt, conscientious liberty issue.”
“What kind of a person is willing to stand in the gap for their friends? Scripture tells us there’s no greater love as a man than he that lays down his life for a friend. That’s a pretty strong religious statement. These are the kind of people who make the decision to sign up to serve. They have a servant’s heart. To disrespect that servant’s heart with this kind of a rule just violates all kinds of common sense and ethics and great traditions of our great country.”
“[This bill] doesn’t criticize the chain of command; it takes this burden from them… We are taking the worst case scenario off the table. It relieves the commanders, it relieves the Department of Defense, it relieves even the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from making a different decision.”