Home Warner, Kaine urge Mattis not to implement transgender military service ban
Local News

Warner, Kaine urge Mattis not to implement transgender military service ban

Contributors

U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine, along with U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, sent a bipartisan letter signed by 42 additional Senators to Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis urging him to advise the President against implementing the announcement he made via Twitter Wednesday that transgender Americans can no longer serve in the military.

lgbtThis announcement contradicts existing Defense Department policies, undermines our military readiness, and unnecessarily singles out transgender service members.

“We appreciate General Dunford’s message that no policy changes should be made until implementation guidelines have been issued,” the Senators wrote in the letter. “We further write to request that, at a minimum, you do not separate any service member due to the person’s gender identity until you have completed the assessment that you announced on June 30, have reported back to Congress about any challenges that you foresee in the accession and retention of transgender troops, and determined the Department is unable to mitigate these challenges.”

Transgender service members have been serving openly since the policy was changed in June 2016; no military branch has reported any issues associated with their service.

Senators Warner, Kaine and Gillibrand were joined by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael F. Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D- CT), Cory A. Booker (D-NJ), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Tom Carper (D-DE), Robert P. Casey, Jr. (D-PA), Susan M. Collins (R-ME), Christopher A. Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Dianne Feinstein (D- CA), Al Franken (D-MN),  Kamala D. Harris (D-CA), Margaret Wood Hassan (D-NH), Martin T. Heinrich (D-NM), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Edward J. Markey (D- MA), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Jeffrey A. Merkley (D-OR), Christopher S. Murphy (D-CT), Patty Murray (D-WA), Gary C. Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernard Sanders (I- VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Jeanne Shaheen (D- NH), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Jon Tester (D-MT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

The full text of the Senators’ joint letter is included here

Contributors

Contributors

Have a guest column, letter to the editor, story idea or a news tip? Email editor Chris Graham at [email protected]. Subscribe to AFP podcasts on Apple PodcastsSpotifyPandora and YouTube.

Latest News

TikTok
Politics, U.S. News

TikTok ban in U.S. remains in effect for Jan. 19 after loss of bid to block legislation

swimming
Sports News

UVA Swimming: Four more world records at 2024 World Aquatics 25m Championships

UVA Swimming senior Gretchen Walsh and alumna Kate Douglass combined to set four world records and win two world titles on Friday on the fourth day of the 2024 World Aquatics 25m Championships in Budapest, Hungary. Walsh had three world record swims, setting the 100 Fly record twice before closing with a world record in...

congress money
Politics, U.S. News

Government watchdog finds potential financial conflicts for Dr. Oz at CMS

Go figure, that Dr. Oz, the pick of Donald Trump to run the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, has significant investments in companies that do business with the agency that he would be in charge of.

mariah may aew
Pro Wrestling

Podcast: AEW hosts ‘Winter is Coming,’ continues march to ‘World’s End’ pay-per-view

monarch butterfly on purple butterfly bush garden
U.S. News

Without change, experts predicts the monarch butterfly will be extinct by 2080

uva football virginia tech
Football

Brent Pry is making changes with his Virginia Tech Football staff; Tony Elliott is standing pat

gingerbread whisky Hardywood Gingerbread Stout Cask Finish Whisky Virginia Distilling Co.
Arts & Culture, Virginia News

Virginia Distillery Co. gingerbread whisky named to prestigious Top 20 list