The House of Representatives voted not to reinstate airline pilots who lost their job over refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine.
The vote failed 294 to 141.
The vote was part of the Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act as Amendment 36, which would “require airlines to reinstate pilots who were fired or forced to resign because of vaccine mandates.”
Part of the bill would also have the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) increase air traffic controller hiring and increase the pilot retirement age by two years, from 65 to 67.
The legislation would also prohibit the FAA from “requiring mask wearing or Covid-19 vaccines for passengers, air carrier employees, or FAA employees.”
Reporting from The Post Millennial:
During the pandemic, airlines across the country instituted vaccine mandates, and for the post part there was a high rate of compliance. That being said, a consequential number of employees were let go for refusing to comply. As Forbes reports, United Airlines alone terminated 232 members of its staff for that reason, many among them pilots. ... United Airlines did allow unvaccinated employees who received an exemption to return to work in 2022, but not those who refused for unapproved reasons.
