Sen. Ron Johnson and Rep. Barry Moore have joined the defenders of a senior Army flight surgeon who gave whistleblower testimony two weeks ago that side effects from mandated COVID-19 vaccines could kill pilots in midair.
Both congressional offices told The Washington Times they pledged their support in separate video chat meetings Friday with Lt. Col. Theresa Long and her attorneys, who have accused the military of trying to silence her.
“Reports on how mandates could weaken military readiness should concern every American, especially our commander-in-chief,” Mr. Johnson, Wisconsin Republican, said of the colonel’s report. “Unfortunately, it will not be the first time in just a few short months that President Biden is ignoring reality and pressing ahead with reckless policies that will have disastrous consequences.”
After meeting with Col. Long, Mr. Johnson appeared on Fox News’ “The Brian Kilmeade Show.” It was originally intended as a joint appearance, but the colonel’s lawyers said they withdrew her after she notified the Army and they “strongly suggested” she not appear.
A spokesman for Mr. Moore said the Alabama Republican, whose district includes Fort Rucker, where Col. Long works, expressed concern in their meeting about the military keeping her quiet.
“Congressman Moore is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of our men and women in uniform and working with the military to thoroughly investigate these troubling reports,” Bradley Jaye said in an email. “Furthermore, the Congressman has also received reports of attempts to silence members of the medical community, with little to no consideration of the concerns they have brought to light.”
A phone call to the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate at Fort Rucker was not returned.
The Times reported last Tuesday that Col. Long filed her affidavit as part of a lawsuit against the Biden administration’s military vaccine mandate, seeking a temporary injunction to halt the shots and require MRIs of all inoculated personnel to monitor for “a serious risk” of myocarditis.
The colonel filed her affidavit under the Military Whistleblower Protection Act.
The Biden administration has ignored the original lawsuit by two military staff sergeants, which a federal judge in Colorado dismissed with an invitation to bring further evidence.
But Todd Callender, one of two attorneys of record representing the plaintiffs, said he felt encouraged by Friday’s video meetings with Mr. Johnson and Mr. Moore.
“They were all very kind and let the good Dr. Long say her piece which focused on the affidavit and her conclusions that we need to stop the shots and screen the flight crews at a minimum until we understand what the risks are,” Mr. Callender said.
• Sean Salai can be reached at ssalai@washingtontimes.com.
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