The state of Texas will not enforce the U.S. Department of Defense’ vaccine mandate on members of the Texas National Guard, Gov. Greg Abbott said in a letter Thursday to U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

The letter comes after Secretary Austin threatened to cut off the flow of federal dollars for unvaccinated guardsmen late last month, according to a news release from Gov. Abbott’s office.

READ THE LETTER HERE.

“If unvaccinated guardsmen suffer any adverse consequences within the state of Texas, they will have only President Biden and his Administration to blame,” Abbott stated in the letter. “If the federal government keeps threatening to defund the Texas National Guard, I will deploy every legal tool available to me as Governor in defense of these American heroes."

In August, Gov. Abbott issued an executive order prohibiting a COVID-19 vaccine mandate by any governmental entity in Texas. Abbott also ordered Texas Adjutant General Tracy Norris in October not to punish any guardsmen in Texas for choosing not to receive the vaccine, the release stated.