by Rees Lloyd

July 19, 2022

President Joseph Biden began his first days as Commander-in-Chief of America’s armed forces by a disastrous surrender to the Taliban and a disgraceful withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Now, the question must be raised: Is Commander-in-Chief Joseph Biden, who never served a day in defense of America, going to war—against Veterans serving now, and Veterans who have served?

This question is necessitated by at least three of the Biden regime’s policies:

BIDEN REGIME COVID VACCINE MANDATE PUNISHMENTS

First, tens of thousands of active duty military, National Guard, and Reserves, are facing “adverse administrative action,” up to and including “discharge,” for declining to submit to mandatory CCP Covid shots—including on religious objection grounds.

Over 700 Air Force pilots and more than 40,000 members of the Army National Guard and 22,000 reservists, are facing loss of pay or benefits —and possible discharge—for failure to submit to mandatory CCP Covid shots, many of whom have claimed exemption on religious grounds.

The deadline for National Guard members and Reservists to submit to two shots passed on June 30, 2022. The next day, July 1, the Army announced that it would begin enforcing the vaccine mandate, threatening that all those without a pending or  approved exemption would be subject to “adverse administrative actions.”

As of July 1, 13% of the Guard and 12% of the Reserve remained unvaccinated; and over 1,000 active-duty soldiers were purged from the service for failure to take the shots.

Americans who volunteer to defend the nation with their lives do not lose their constitutional rights when entering military service.

A number of lawsuits have been filed across the country alleging that the Biden Covid shots mandate violates the military members’ Constitutional First Amendment right to Free Exercise of Religion, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and the military’s duty to “accommodate” religious claims.

Several courts have issued restraining orders against the Biden policy, and at least two have certified the complaints as “ class actions.”

The first injunction was issued in a case brought for a single Air Force officer in Georgia by the Thomas More Society, which is now seeking class action status.

First Liberty Institute in Texas has achieved a preliminary injunction and class action status in a case brought for Navy SEALS which now protects all serving in the Navy. (U.S. Navy SEALS 1-26 v. Austin).

Another important action is pending in Nebraska, brought by 36 Air Force active duty, National Guard and Reserve, 17 of whom are “pilots” fully and expensively trained to fly the most sophisticated air craft, according to  their attorney, Kris Kobach, General Counsel of the Alliance for Free Citizens. He alleges that despite its duty to accommodate, “the Air force has granted only 17 religious exemption requests, but has denied 4,637 of them.”

The most recent court decision was on July 14, 2022, in the case of Doster vs. Kendall in the Southern District of Ohio. U.S. District Court Judge  Matthew W. McFarland granted a restraining order against Biden’s policy, and certified the case as a class action protecting all Air Force personnel.

In doing so, he made this finding, which appears to be applicable generally to Biden’s policy as Commander-in-Chief:

“The facts show Defendants have engaged in a pattern of denying religious accommodation requests. Indeed, of the over nine thousand religious exemption requests, only 109 have been granted by either initial determination or appeal.…This amounts to only 1% of religious accommodation requests being granted. ‘It is hard to imagine a more consistent display of discrimination.” (Quoting the discrimination finding of the Texas court in U.S. Navy Seals 1-26 v. Austin.”

BIDEN PLAN TO DIVERT VA RESOURCES TO THE BORDER

Second, the Biden administration has been forced to admit that it has been developing a plan to divert Veterans Administration doctors, nurses, other medical personnel, and funds, from providing medical care to Veterans who have defended America, to serving aliens at the southern border who are illegally breaking the immigration laws of America.

Admission that such planning was taking place was reluctantly made by Biden’s Homeland Security Secretary,  Alejandro  Mayorkas, only after persistent questioning by Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa) at hearings of the House Appropriates Committee at the end of April.

In response to that revelation, Senate Bill S.4082 to block the diversion of funds and medical personnel from the VA to the border has been filed, sponsored  by Sen. John Boozman (R-AR), joined by ten Senators so far (all Republicans).

Significantly, The American Legion—the nation’s largest veterans’ service  organization — is in support of Senate Bill S.4082,  in order to protect VA resources for Veterans (as  was confirmed to me upon inquiry to the Legion’s Legislative Dept.)

BIDEN REGIME’S ILLEGAL SUSPENSION OF VA BENEFITS

Third, in an outrageous case, the Biden administration has illegally suspended the earned VA benefits of a disabled American veteran solely on the “accusation” that he participated in the Jan 6 protests  in Washington D.C.

Disabled veteran Kenneth Harrelson, and his wife, Angel, received notification from the VA that it was suspending earned VA benefits pursuant to “38 U.S. Code Sec. 38 U.S. Code Sec. 6105 — Forfeiture for subversive activities,” because he had been “indicted” by the Grand Jury apparently in last June.

What makes the VA’s action so outrageous is that 38 U.S. Code Sec. 6105 — expressly states that it authorizes suspension of benefits only after a “conviction” of a veteran, not an accusation, which is what an indictment is.

Further, It must be noted that disabled veteran, Kenneth Harrelson, has been in jail, without trial or right to bail, since being arrested at his home in Florida in March 2021. That is, he has been in jail for almost a year and a half. No “speedy trial.” No bail. And now, illegal suspension of earned VA benefits.

It should be noticed that there is no allegation that Harrelson had personally engaged in any violent conduct against any person  on Jan 6.

I note that because too he estimated 574 violent riots of the self-declared Marxist Black Lives Matter (BLM) and its Marxist allies in Antifa, violent riots which included millions of dollars in damage to personal businesses, and governmental buildings (e.g. burned down police precinct in Minneapolis, attempts to burn down the Federal Court House in Portland, OR), and physical injury to hundreds of police and others, while chanting “burn it down.” As far as is known, there has not been a single prosecution for “Seditious Conspiracy”  of BLM or Antifa members.

The manifestly illegal suspension of VA benefits has hit Kenneth, Angel, and their three kids hard, as they are dependent on Kenneth’s earned VA benefits.He remains incarcerated, denied bail.

Whatever anyone’s position is regarding Jan 6, it is absolutely clear that there is a failure of “equal protection of the law” in this case, manifest discriminatory enforcement of the law, and a clear violation of the rights of the Harrelson.

Notwithstanding, the media has generally ignored this story.

The Patriot Freedom Project has denounced  as outrageous actions of the  DOJ,  the VA, and the Biden regime; and is attempting to assist the family — which they desperately need, and deserve.

© 2022 Rees Lloyd – All Rights Reserved

E-Mail Rees Lloyd: ReesLloydLaw@gmail.com