Texas Senator Ted Cruz has officially invited an unvaccinated Navy Lieutenant to Biden’s joint Congress speech on Tuesday night after he was punished for refusing to get the jab.
Fort Worth native Lieutenant Levi Beaird will join Cruz at the speech in hopes to raise awareness of the 60,000 military members who refused to get the vaccine and were punished for their decision.
Cruz has been an advocate for those who faced consequences for refusing to get the vaccine. The Senator filed recently the Allowing Military Exemptions, Recognizing Individual Concerns About New Shots Act as an addition to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2023.
In his filing, Cruz included language that helped defend service members for not getting the vaccine and were punished for making their own health decision.
“The disregard this administration has for our service members is unconscionable, in fact it borders on outright contempt,” Cruz said to the Epoch Times.
“My guest, U.S. Navy Lieutenant Levi Beaird, is a Surface Warfare Officer, and like so many others in our military, has had his livelihood threatened and faces serious retribution from this administration just for seeking an exemption from the COVID vaccine. Lieutenant Beaird is among the thousands of capable Sailors, Soldiers, Airmen and Marines this administration is eager to discharge and punish just for seeking an exemption. I’m proud to host him at the Capitol and I’m proud to fight for every service member battling this injustice,” Cruz continued in saying.
Beaird attempted to use a Religious Accommodation Request in order to refuse the vaccine but was still told that he may face discharge for his decision despite the request.
Although Beaird made that request, he and many others have faced intense challenges when it comes to continuing their career and service.
Many of those who refused to get the vaccine are still not allowed to fully participate in their service and are prevented from growing in their military career.
The Epoch Times is reporting that Beaird was “expected to be the chief engineer on a Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) out of Mayport, Florida, but now the Navy won’t send him to a ship or allow him to do the job he trained for and is obligated to carry out.”
Their report also claims that Beaird was prevented in receiving thousands of dollars in bonuses and is being forced to payback his military education.
“Even with my first denial, I knew my career is over … The Navy is forcing me to choose between the God I love and the service that I love. I’m not going to violate my conscience—my sincerely held religious views. The decision, while clear, was not easy, and it hurt, because it was really the start of the death of my career,” Beaird went on to tell the Epoch Times.