Congress agrees to scrap military coronavirus vaccine mandate, advances largest troop pay increase in 20 years

[Tony]

WASHINGTON — Lawmakers in Congress agreed Tuesday night to scrap the military’s coronavirus vaccine mandate in an $847 billion compromise defense policy bill that also boosts pay for troops.

The agreement, hammered out during months of bicameral negotiations, adds $45 billion to the fiscal 2023 budget request from the White House for defense programs, and notably rebukes the administration’s stance on coronavirus vaccinations for service members.