Washington, DC — Iowa Senator Joni Ernst says a provision in a bill the senate passed on December 15th, authorizes the U.S. military to train Ukrainian soldiers how to remove the explosives Russia’s military has dumped in the Black Sea.
The Port of Odessa is on the Black Sea, a body of water that is now infested with hundreds of mines. The operation to remove those mines is included in this year’s $858 billion defense spending bill. President Biden is expected to sign the legislation, which will provide an additional $800 million to Ukraine’s war effort.
The bill will also get rid of the requirement that American soldiers get COVID-19 vaccinations. Ernst, a Republican from Red Oak, says 8,000 soldiers who refused to get a COVID shot have been discharged from the active military. The mandate for National Guard and Reserve units was to take effect at the end of the year.
This year’s National Defense Authorization Act includes a 4.6% increase in the basic pay for service members — the largest military pay hike in 20 years.
