Sen. Ted Cruz Invites Naval Lieutenant Who Refused COVID Shot to State of Union

Naval Lieutenant Levi Beaird, a Texan from Fort Worth, was surprised to learn that Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) invited him to attend the State of the Union address. Beaird hopes his presence will bring attention to the more than 60,000 military personnel who faced consequences after refusing the COVID shot.
Cruz recently filed the Allowing Military Exemptions, Recognizing Individual Concerns About New Shots Act (AMERICANS) to build on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2023, which included language from legislation Cruz introduced last year to repeal the COVID-19 vaccine mandate in the Department of Defense.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) asks questions during a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Sept. 21, 2021. (Ken Cedeno/AFP via Getty Images)
The newest AMERICANS Act includes a requirement that the Secretary of Defense offer reinstatement to service members who were fired over the military’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate and prohibits the secretary of defense from taking any adverse action against a covered member based solely on the refusal to receive a COVID vaccination shot….}