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(Des Moines, IA) -- Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts and Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds are among the five state governors requesting the Department of Defense withdraw the vaccine mandate for National Guard members.
According to their release, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the National Guard is under the control of state governors until the members are called to an active-duty status.
The governors of Wyoming, Alaska, and Mississippi are the three currently in agreement with Gov. Ricketts and Gov. Reynolds.
Gov. Reynolds released a statement on Tuesday:
“The federal government continues to overreach further into the lives of Americans and especially those serving our country and protecting our very freedoms.
These are the very men and women who have selflessly devoted their lives to protecting us and responding to major disasters and times of crisis at the drop of a hat to provide peace and comfort, and now the federal government is giving them an ultimatum to get the vaccine or be separated from serving their country.
It’s unconscionable to think the government will go so far as to strip these honorable men and women of the nation’s top duties if they don’t comply. They protect the very freedoms that the federal government apparently doesn’t believe they too deserve.”
December 2nd was the deadline for all U.S. National Guard members to be vaccinated. According to current reports, nearly 50,000 members across all branches of the military have not received the vaccine.