Oklahoma Sen. Lankford calls for end of COVID-19 vaccine mandates
TULSA, Okla. (KTUL) — Oklahoma Senator James Lankford is calling for an end to President Joe Biden's COVID-19 mandates.
Lankford introduced a resolution countering Biden's vaccine mandate for federal employees, service members, and contractors after declaring the pandemic over on September 18, 2022.
Lankford has long called for Americans to make their own decisions concerning the COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
Biden has declared that the pandemic is over—so his overreaching vaccine mandate on federal workers, service members, and government contractors should be over as well,” said Lankford. “Each individual American should be able to make their own health decisions and not fear they will lose their job if they do not agree with the President’s vaccine mandate.
Lankford has been working to defend Americans from vaccine mandates for federal employees and service members.
Lankford sent a letter to Department of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin about his concerns after reports revealed deplorable living conditions for service members who have religious objections to the COVID-19 vaccine.
He, along with Texas Senator Ted Cruz and 12 others, introduced the Allowing Military Exemptions, Recognizing Individual Concerns About New Shots Act.
Lankford also introduced the COVID-19 Vaccine Dishonorable Discharge Prevention Act in hopes of prohibiting the Department of Defense from dishonorably discharging service members who choose to not receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
This act ultimately solidified the Fiscal year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act that Lankford supported and was eventually signed into law.
Regardless of religious accommodations for service members, Lankford had previously sent a letter to Austin demanding to know why the department had granted nearly zero religious accommodations among service branches, despite having nearly 20,000 requests for religious exemptions from the vaccine by service members.
Lankford requested a response to this letter by February 1 and did not receive a timely response.
After not receiving a response, Lankford requested the Acting Department of Defense Inspector General Sean O'Donnell to conduct an audit of the DOD's COVID-19 vaccine exemption process.
The IG responded 10 days later stating that an audit would be conducted.
Lankford additionally called to defund Biden's federal vaccine mandate earlier this year.
