Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

Tennessee House Bill HJR0098 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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4	4	HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 98
5	5	By Fritts
6	6
7	7
8	8	HJR0098
9	9	002832
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12	12	A RESOLUTION to urge the United States Congress to require
13	13	the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to add
14	14	COVID-19 treatments and anthrax vaccinations
15	15	as pre-qualifying for care under the PACT Act.
16	16
17	17	WHEREAS, many servicemembers have reportedly been unlawfully forced to accept
18	18	COVID-19 drugs and anthrax vaccinations; and
19	19	WHEREAS, our government has a history of subjecting our servicemembers to
20	20	experimental conditions and substances without their consent; and
21	21	WHEREAS, our national security and readiness to necessarily conduct war is adversely
22	22	impacted by the unlawful administering of drugs and substances. Many injuries are reported to
23	23	have occurred in our servicemembers from a forced requirement to accept COVID-19
24	24	"vaccinations"; and
25	25	WHEREAS, our civilian and military leaders owe both an allegiance to the welfare of the
26	26	warfighter and a responsibility to the Republic to ensure rules, regulations, and laws are
27	27	followed closely in the administering of health care to our servicemembers; and
28	28	WHEREAS, the PACT Act expanded the Department of Veterans Affairs coverage of
29	29	health care and benefits for veterans to include those exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and
30	30	other toxic substances; and
31	31	WHEREAS, recognizing a potential for generational damage, this law helps us provide
32	32	generations of veterans—and their survivors—with the care and benefits they've earned and
33	33	deserve. Since March 5, 2024, it has been appropriate to recognize other chemical substances
34	34	of which the unnecessary and illegally forced administration has caused damage to our
35	35	servicemembers and their families; and
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40	40	WHEREAS, the Department of Veterans Affairs has historically been slow to respond to
41	41	toxic exposures, often leaving the servicemember or veteran exposed with no recourse nor help
42	42	for decades; it is incumbent upon our government to care for the wounded and injured warriors;
43	43	and
44	44	WHEREAS, a group of whistleblowers has asserted that COVID-19 treatments were
45	45	issued while the chemicals were only Emergency Use Authorized (EUA). The officers alleged in
46	46	an August 15
47	47	th
48	48	memorandum that the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) has unlawfully
49	49	administered EUA products as if they were fully licensed Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-
50	50	approved products. Military regulations state service members have a legal right to refuse EUA
51	51	products; and
52	52	WHEREAS, although the FDA issued approval for Pfizer's Comirnaty vaccine in August
53	53	2021, none of the FDA-approved vaccines were available. FDA documents dated November
54	54	2021 state: "In the U.S., there are no licensed vaccines or antiviral drugs for the prevention of
55	55	COVID-19." Furthermore, the FDA said the EUA-authorized Pfizer vaccines were "legally
56	56	distinct" from the FDA-approved Comirnaty vaccines that were unavailable for service members
57	57	in the U.S.; and
58	58	WHEREAS, anthrax vaccinations are reported to have been issued to millions of
59	59	servicemembers, even at times when the drug was not fully approved; and
60	60	WHEREAS, in October 2004, a federal judge ordered the military to stop requiring
61	61	anthrax vaccines for U.S. military personnel. In response, the Pentagon halted mandatory
62	62	anthrax vaccinations "until further notice," but noted the court did not question the safety or
63	63	effectiveness of the vaccine. Tennessee troops were issued anthrax vaccinations in 2004; now,
64	64	therefore,
65	65	BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED
66	66	FOURTEENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, THE SENATE
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71	71	CONCURRING, that we strongly urge the United States Congress to require the Department of
72	72	Veterans Affairs to add COVID-19 treatments, conducted under Emergency Use Authorization
73	73	(EUA) and before FDA approval was granted, as pre-qualifying for care under the PACT Act.
74	74	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we also strongly urge Congress to require the
75	75	Department of Veterans Affairs to add anthrax vaccinations as qualifying for care under the
76	76	PACT Act.
77	77	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we also urge Congress to conduct a full investigation
78	78	and provide a report of the timeline, including the accountable persons who made decisions,
79	79	recommendations, and approvals of the decision to require servicemembers to accept the
80	80	introduction of these chemicals, with their possible harmful or toxic side effects and outside of
81	81	legal and lawful permission, into their bodies.
82	82	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a certified copy of this resolution be transmitted to
83	83	the Speaker and the Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, the President and the
84	84	Secretary of the United States Senate, and each member of the Tennessee Congressional
85	85	delegation.
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