Federal employees who left government or were fired due to President Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate could be reinstated or reimbursed for time lost under a new bill from a House Republican.
Exceedingly few federal workers were ever actually terminated as a result of Biden’s order, which went into effect in the fall of 2021 but has not been enforced for most of the time subsequent to that as it has wound its way through various court battles.
Still, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., introduced the COVID-19 Federal Employee Reinstatement Act on Friday to make anyone who lost their job over the mandate eligible to get it back. The bill would apply not just to the few, if any, employees who were fired, but also to anyone who chose to leave their government job and affirms they did so because of the vaccine requirement.
“Forcing public servants to choose between destroying their livelihood or complying with immoral demands from the federal government is sickening,” said Gaetz, the firebrand conservative. “The Biden administration should have never forced federal employees to resign due to the vaccine mandate. Reinstating and compensating these individuals is the first step toward reconciliation.” . . . (read more on Gov Exec)
Congressman Matt Gaetz Introduces Bill to Reinstate Discharged Federal Employees Due to COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates (Press Release)
Today, U.S. Congressman Matt Gaetz (FL-01) introduced the “COVID-19 Federal Employee Reinstatement Act.” If passed, Rep. Gaetz’s legislation will provide financial compensation or full reinstatement for federal employees forced to resign from their careers between September 9th, 2021 – January 24th, 2022, due to the federal COVID–19 vaccination mandate.
During the House Armed Service Committee markup of the FY2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) last year, Congressman Gaetz introduced a similar amendment. The NDAA amendment expressed through the sense of Congress that service members who were separated from the military after rejecting the COVID-19 vaccine mandate should be reinstated with their full rank and pay.
“Forcing public servants to choose between destroying their livelihood or complying with immoral demands from the federal government is sickening. The Biden administration should have never forced federal employees to resign due to the vaccine mandate. Reinstating and compensating these individuals is the first step toward reconciliation. Vaccine mandates have no place in a free country,” said Congressman Gaetz.
Full text of Congressman Gaetz’s COVID-19 Federal Employee Reinstatement Act can be found HERE.
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