This article was originally published by the WND News Center

(WND News Center) — A member of Congress has accused Joe Biden of having an ulterior motive for his Department of Defense’s agenda to continue attacking those military members who declined to take the COVID-19 shots.

“It’s incredibly divisive and cruel to fire patriotic service members for refusing to comply with a partisan and harmful rule that no longer exists,” Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., said. “To me, the only explanation is that the Biden administration wants to purge conservative service members from the military.”

His comments came during a meeting of the House Armed Services Committee, according to a report from Just the News.

His office confirmed that between 8,000 and 16,000 troops still are eligible for firing for declining the experimental shots during the pandemic, shots that evidence now shows contain their own health threats to many.

The Pentagon had issued a mandate that every service member subject themselves to the experimental shots.

The report noted 69,000 troops refused, with 53,000 seeking a medical or religious accommodation.

A total of 37,000 sought religious exemptions, and 19,100 were denied, with only 400 approved, the Department of Defense has said.

Already, 8,100 military members have been fired for declining to comply with the mandate, which since has been dropped.

The Pentagon, in a letter Banks released, confirmed that those eligible for being fired are being reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Biden, in fact, had wanted to keep the mandate, despite the uncertain benefits of the shots, but it was dropped by Congress as part of an $847 billion defense spending bill last year.

Just the News reported, “Attorney R. Davis Younts, who represents an unvaccinated Air Force pilot who didn’t request an exemption from the COVID vaccine mandate, told Just the News on Thursday that the Defense Department’s position is that the unvaccinated service members didn’t follow what was a lawful order at the time.”

Younts explained the DOD doesn’t “want to admit” that the mandate “was an unlawful or improper order in the first place.

That, Younts explained, could trigger “thousands” of service members pursuing corrective action in their cases – including potential lawsuits.

Reprinted with permission from the WND News Center.