Political Divide Igniting Smoldering Anger Over Masks In Schools, Vaccines

The Washington Examiner: GOP Lawmaker Seeks Honorable Discharge Designation For Soldiers Who Refuse COVID-19 Vaccine
One GOP lawmaker is looking to get members of the military who refuse to get the COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes mandatory honorably discharged. Rep. Mark Green of Tennessee told the Washington Examiner on Wednesday that his office is preparing a resolution that would force the military to give honorable discharges to any soldier who refuses to get the coronavirus vaccine for a reason that does not qualify for an exemption, such as religion or a preexisting medical condition. (Brest, 8/11)

In other news on how the GOP is taking a stand against covid mandates —

AP: Republicans Take To Mask Wars As Virus Surges In Red States
Top Republicans are battling school districts in their own states’ urban, heavily Democratic areas over whether students should be required to mask up as they head back to school — reigniting ideological divides over mandates even as the latest coronavirus surge ravages the reddest, most unvaccinated parts of the nation. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida has issued an executive order threatening to cut funding from school districts that defy a statewide ban on classroom mask mandates. He’s now suggesting his office could direct officials to withhold pay from superintendents who impose such rules anyway. (Weissert, 8/12)

CNN: Republicans Are Seizing On Backlash To New Mask And Vaccine Mandates
Republicans have found a new boogeyman in the battle for the House: the nation’s top public health agency. As Republicans head back to their districts for the August recess, they are hammering the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and seizing on the backlash to new mask and vaccine mandates – part of a GOP-wide effort to use the fears and frustrations of Americans worried about another round of school closures and lockdowns as cudgels against their Democratic opponents. (Zanona, 8/11)

The Washington Post: Ted Cruz Calls For ‘Zero’ Covid Mandates, While Rand Paul Urges Defiance Amid Delta Surge 
As a resurgent coronavirus is forcing states to address soaring cases and hospitalizations, Republican Sens. Ted Cruz (Tex.) and Rand Paul (Ky.) denounced health mandates against the virus at a time when the nation recorded its highest single-day number of new cases since January. The United States reported nearly 160,000 cases on Monday, pushing the seven-day average to almost 115,000 daily, according to data compiled by The Washington Post. It was the most severe day for new cases in the country since Jan. 29, when coronavirus vaccines were not widely available. Hospitalizations are also up to nearly 70,000 as businesses and schools grapple with mandates for vaccinations and masks during the fourth wave of the pandemic. (Bella, 8/10)

The Washington Post: Republicans Risk Becoming Face Of Delta Surge As Key GOP Governors Oppose Anti-Covid Measures 
“They’re making a political bet on the lives of the people they serve,” said former Republican National Committee chairman Michael S. Steele, who has been sharply critical of former president Donald Trump and has formed an exploratory committee for a potential 2022 Maryland gubernatorial bid. “The party leadership has gone so far out on this limb that there they stand with a saw in their hand and they’re sawing it off.” (Sonmez and Knowles, 8/11)

In related news from California —

AP: California Justices Won't Limit Governor's Emergency Powers
The California Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to consider reining in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s emergency powers during the coronavirus pandemic, leaving in place a lower court’s ruling that the governor acted within his authority. The justices unanimously denied the petition for review filed by Republican Assemblymen James Gallagher and Kevin Kiley, without giving an explanation beyond the one-line order. (Thompson, 8/12)