Washington, D.C. — Today, Rep. Andrew Clyde (GA-09) and House Committee on Oversight and Reform Ranking Member James Comer (KY-01) led Oversight Committee Republicans in sending a letter to Admiral Linda L. Fagan, Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), expressing serious concerns over the USCG’s apparent failure to provide due process to members requesting religious exemptions to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
“Religious freedom is protected by the U.S. Constitution and federal law. Despite these protections, information received by Committee Republicans indicates that the adjudication process for exemption applications was a pro forma exercise designed to reach predetermined conclusions—to deny requests and appeals—in nearly every single case,” wrote the Republican lawmakers. “The USCG even created a digital tool to assist in more efficiently denying appeals of the vaccine mandate instead of focusing on the merits of each individual case. Regardless of the ultimate decision to approve or deny these requests, the USCG and the other branches of the U.S. Armed Forces must afford members the opportunity to have their religious accommodations claim heard on the merits along with the right to appeal an adverse decision.”
On June 2, 2022, Department of Defense Acting Inspector General Sean O’Donnell wrote an internal memo emphasizing that the USCG’s decisions were being made to deny requests at an alarmingly fast rate. This analysis is echoed by information obtained by Committee Republicans showing that the USCG’s review system was similarly stood up to reach predetermined conclusions with the goal of rejecting applications.
“Our nation’s heroes have a constitutional right to oppose the Biden Administration’s medical tyranny, yet the Coast Guard’s adjudication process reveals a pattern of hastily predetermined conclusions for religious exemption requests,” said Clyde. “Congress must conduct proper oversight into this grave injustice, which is why it is imperative that the Oversight Committee receive a briefing to adequately understand the Coast Guard’s exemption request procedure that has unjustly denied due process to more than 1,300 service members. Furthermore, while the Coast Guard’s implementation raises serious questions and concerns, Americans deserve transparency regarding the entire military’s failure to fairly adjudicate religious exemption requests — warranting additional oversight into our other service branches.”
