Naval Academy sparks fury by allegedly denying diplomas to unvaccinated midshipmen: 'Absolutely atrocious'

Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., said the U.S. Naval Academy potentially refusing to give diplomas to students who refused the COVID vaccine is "absolutely atrocious." 

Steube joined "Fox & Friends" Thursday to discuss the GOP's efforts to get answers from the Naval Academy. The Army veteran said a constituent of his is being told she needs the vaccine in order to graduate. 

"Think about spending four years of your life in college and then not even being able to get a degree for the work that you've done. This is a young woman who wants to serve her country and all because she doesn't want to take the COVID vaccine based on religious exemptions that are being refused by this administration and the DOD." 

In a letter to Naval Vice Adm. Sean Buck Tuesday, Steube and other lawmakers said denying diplomas to otherwise qualified midshipmen is a waste of the country’s four-year investment in those people and will hurt military readiness at a time when all service branches are having trouble with recruitment and retention.

‘WOKE’ MILITARY PROVISIONS ARE STICKING POINTS FOR GOP AS VOTE ON DEFENSE POLICY BILL LOOMS

"Commandant of Midshipmen and their Judge Advocate General Officer (JAG) are denying Midshipmen from graduating due to their refusal to take the COVID-19 vaccination on religious grounds and are held as a delayed graduate until the injunction preventing the separation of Naval personnel is lifted," the lawmakers charged.

When asked by host Brian Kilmeade who is behind the policy, Steube said he believes it goes "all the way to the top." 

"It's got to be Secretary Austin. It's got to be Biden forcing these vaccine mandates on our military service members and then denying their ability under religious exemptions not to take it."

Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., said on "Fox & Friends First" that the move comes at a time that the military is facing a "recruiting crisis that will take years to get out of." 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Waltz, a former Army Green Beret, called on the military to end the COVID vaccine requirements since the shots have not been found to prevent transmission of the virus. 

"The Pentagon is on the verge of discharging nearly 20,000, particularly in the Reserves and the National Guard, at a time when we're seeing a massive military buildup from China. Enough is enough. And to the cadets, the families, and the military members out there. Republicans, have told the Pentagon and this administration they can come to a commonsense solution on this, or we're going to legislate it. They can do it the easy way, or we're going to do it the hard way." 

A preliminary injunction issued by a district court in early 2022 delayed the ability of the Navy to separate unvaccinated service members seeking religious accommodations. The case, which is now a class-action lawsuit, is still in the courts.

"We're seeing massive people being kicked out of academies and kicked out of their military service, all for the reason of refusing the vaccine [for] religious exemptions. One, it's completely un-American. And two, it is not the best for the safety and security of the American people," Steube told Fox News Digital.

The letter comes after the Coast Guard Academy unenrolled seven cadets for failing to comply with the military’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate after their requests for religious exemptions were denied. Those cadets were ordered to leave campus.

The U.S. Naval Academy did not respond to Fox News with a comment.

Responding on "Fox & Friends" Thursday, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) said the mandates are hurting recruitment and Congress needs to act. 

"We're having a tough time recruiting individuals to join our military and our National Guard. We have folks that have retired in some states. People have been discharged because they've refused the vaccine. And we have no answers out of the Pentagon on if they're going to allow religious exemptions. 

"We're asking Congress to take action. They have an opportunity on the National Defense Authorization Act to do an amendment that would allow this vaccine to drop by the wayside or to not require it or to give us a definition even on religious exemptions, that would be incredibly helpful."

Fox News' Kelly Laco contributed to this report