A group of 47 congressional Republicans filed a legal brief Monday supporting a group of Navy SEALs suing the federal government over its COVID-19 vaccine mandate, as Politico reported.

“Plaintiffs’ religious liberty and the government’s asserted interest in protecting our service members from COVID-19 need not be in conflict, especially where, as here, the individuals seeking an exemption are willing to adopt non-vaccination measures to protect themselves and others from the spread of COVID-19,” wrote the lawmakers, including Sen. James Inhofe (Okla.), the top Republican on the Armed Services Committee.

The suit alleges the mandate is a First Amendment violation of religious beliefs. Service members can apply for religious exemptions, but no such exemption has been approved yet.

About 98% of Navy and Army service members are fully vaccinated. The Air Force is 97.5% vaccinated, and the Marine Corps has a 95% vaccination rate, as Politico noted.

Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Brandon Aultman