U.S. military says no 'hard data' showing vaccine mandate hurts recruiting

Record ID: 1701345

  • Title: U.S. military says no 'hard data' showing vaccine mandate hurts recruiting
  • Date: 6th December 2022
  • Summary: WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES (DECEMBER 6, 2022) (STATE TV) AUSTRALIAN DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND MINISTER FOR DEFENCE, RICHARD MARLES; AUSTRALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, PENNY WONG; U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE, ANTONY BLINKEN AND U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, LLOYD AUSTIN, DURING NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, LLOYD AUSTIN, SAYING: “In terms of Mr. McCarthy's statement I would refer you back to him for his data, that he's using, I'd need not seen any hard data that directly links the COVID mandate to an effect on our recruiting.” OFFICIALS LEAVING LECTERNS
  • Embargoed: 20th December 2022 23:55
  • Keywords: AUKUS AUSMIN Antony Blinken Australia Lloyd Austin Penny Wong Richard Marles United States
  • Location: WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES
  • City: WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES
  • Country: US
  • Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,North America,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA001493506122022RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The U.S. military has no hard data to back up claims by top Republicans in Congress that the Pentagon's COVID-19 vaccine mandate is hurting recruiting, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Tuesday (December 6).
    Republican leader Kevin McCarthy, who is vying to become speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and other Republicans are pushing the Biden administration to lift the American military's mandate requiring troops to be vaccinated against COVID, arguing it hurts recruiting.
    A September report indicated, the U.S. military experienced its highest recorded level of sexual assault among women last year.
    The U.S. military, which is already struggling to meet recruiting goals after decades of war, revealed the gloomy data just months after announcing new reforms that critics said were too slow and too limited to resolve the crisis.
    (Production: Gerardo Gomez)
  • Copyright Holder: STATE DEPARTMENT TV
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