<p>Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz ripped President Joe Biden over the refusal to accommodate religious exemptions from the military&#8217;s COVID-19 vaccine mandate, claiming he is &#8220;punishing&#8221; servicemembers.</p>
<p>Cruz shared the words alongside the comment that he is &#8220;pleased&#8221; that a judge issued a temporary stay in the case of a group of Navy SEALs who sued for not being allowed a religious accommodation.</p>
<p>&#8220;President Biden is wrong for punishing our Servicemembers over their religious freedom,&#8221; Cruz wrote.</p>
<p>&#8220;I am pleased to see a judge issued a stay against Biden’s authoritarian vaccine mandate,&#8221; he added.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">President Biden is wrong for punishing our Servicemembers over their religious freedom.</p>
<p>I am pleased to see a judge issued a stay against Biden’s authoritarian vaccine mandate.<br />
<a href="https://t.co/waFYUmWKCy">https://t.co/waFYUmWKCy</a></p>
<p>— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenTedCruz/status/1478388453008191494?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
<p>In an earlier post, Cruz also noted the ruling in the case as &#8220;a major win.&#8221;</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">This is a major win!<br />
<a href="https://t.co/xyhifeKAJE">https://t.co/xyhifeKAJE</a></p>
<p>— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenTedCruz/status/1478201629535088641?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
<p>In December, Cruz served as part of a team of conservative lawmakers who filed an amicus brief in the case of <em>U.S. Navy Seals v. Biden.</em></p>
<p>“Plaintiffs’ religious liberty and the government’s asserted interest in protecting our service members from COVID-19 need not be in conflict, especially where, as here, the individuals seeking an exemption are willing to adopt non-vaccination measures to protect themselves and others from the spread of COVID-19,&#8221; the lawmakers wrote.</p>
<p>&#8220;They are only in conflict here because Defendants refuse to accommodate Plaintiffs’ religious objections even as they accommodate those who will not receive the vaccine for non-religious reasons. This violates RFRA by substantially burdening Plaintiffs’ religious beliefs without a compelling reason, and violates the First Amendment’s guarantee that government not discriminate against religion,&#8221; the amicus brief added.</p>
<p>Cruz and the others in the amicus brief highlighted the importance of religious freedom among military personnel regarding the COVID-19 vaccine.</p>
<p>“Religious freedom is fundamental to every American’s liberty, but we have seen in recent years increasing hostility among elected and appointed government officials towards those who seek to exercise that freedom,&#8221; they wrote.</p>
<p>In mid-December, the <a href="https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2021/12/19/troops-find-religious-exemption-for-covid-19-vaccines-unattainable/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Military Times</a> reported, &#8220;More than 12,000 military service members refusing the COVID-19 vaccine are seeking religious exemptions, and so far they are having zero success.&#8221; The outlet noted that an overwhelming number of requests have been filed among the various branches of the Armed Forces:</p>
<blockquote><p><em>Air Force officials initially said religious exemption requests would be answered in 30 days. But they have gotten more than 4,700 requests — far more than the other military services, and the logistics of the lengthy review process has made it difficult to meet that timeline. The Navy has received about 2,700 religious exemption requests, the Marine Corps has 3,100 and the Army about 1,700.</em></p></blockquote>
<p>The new preliminary injunction offers some hope that the situation could change. The current injunction only applies to those involved in the case, but the ruling could be used in other cases.</p>
<p>“The Navy service​ ​members in this case seek to vindicate the very freedoms they have sacrificed so much to protect,” District Judge Reed O’Connor wrote in his <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/01/04/judge-blocks-pentagon-from-punishing-unvaccinated-navy-seals/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">order</a>. “The COVID-19 pandemic provides the government no license to abrogate those freedoms. There is no COVID-19 exception to the First Amendment. There is no military exclusion from our Constitution.”</p>

<script async src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<script async src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script><div data-widget-host="revcontent" data-pub-id="165152" data-widget-id="290588"></div><script src="https://delivery.revcontent.com/165152/290588/widget.js"></script>

Cruz: ‘President Biden Is Wrong For Punishing Our Servicemembers Over Their Religious Freedom’

CONTINUE READING

District Judge Blocks California’s COVID ‘Misinformation’ Law

New York GOP Leaders Demand Answers For Migrant Relocation In Upstate Town

Arkansas Senate Bill Classifies Drag Shows As ‘Adult-Oriented Businesses’ In Effort To Protect Children

‘Subject To Felony Prosecution’: Gov. Kristi Noem Warns South Dakota Pharmacists Against Dispensing Abortion Pills

Ted Cruz Introduces Bill To Block Non-Citizens From Voting In Washington, D.C.

Ted Cruz Introduces Constitutional Amendment To Enforce Term Limits For Congress

News

COVID-19 Vaccine

Vaccine Mandate

A video goes viral showing a baby being refused his mother by two gay "dads". This is just the tip of the iceberg, which is why we will have an important discussion today about surrogacy. 

Hour 1

The Matt Walsh Show

Ep. 1765 - This Video Is One Of The Worst Things I've Seen In A Long Time 

The Strait of Hormuz officially opens for business (kind of), the Pope makes “shocking” comments on immigration, and President Trump promises UFO disclosure at TPUSA. 


The Michael Knowles Show

Ep. 1956 -  Pope Leo's "SHOCKING" Immigration Comments EXPLAINED

A false miscreed has corrupted our leadership class.


The Andrew Klavan Show

Ep. 1275 - Dumb, Dumber and Progressive

President Trump announces a 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel, a murder-suicide involving former Democratic Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax shakes Virginia, and France and Britain hold a conference to secure the Strait of Hormuz – after the Iranian conflict ends. Get the facts first with Morning Wire.

- - -

Ep. 2738

- - -

Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3

- - -

Today's Sponsors:

Alliance Defending Freedom - Visit https://JoinADF.com/WIRE or text 'WIRE' to 83848 to learn more.

Pocket Hose - Text MORNING to 64000 to get a FREE pocket pivot and their 10-pattern sprayer with the purchase of ANY size Copper Head hose. Message and data rates may apply.

Morning Wire

U.S. Expands Hormuz Blockade & VA Fairfax Deaths Investigated | 4.17.26

U.S. Expands Hormuz Blockade & VA Fairfax Deaths Investigated | 4.17.26 [Member Exclusive]

A ceasefire goes into effect between Israel and Lebanon, a tragic murder-suicide rocks Virginia, and Dairy Queen deploys AI in the drive-thru. Get the facts first with Evening Wire.
- - -
Ep. 2737
- - -
Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3 
- - -
Today’s Sponsor:

Alliance Defending Freedom - Visit https://JoinADF.com/WIRE or text “WIRE” to 83848 to learn more.


Menu

— News —

Cruz: ‘President Biden Is Wrong For Punishing Our Servicemembers Over Their Religious Freedom’