Human Rights Campaign Calls on House of Representatives to Vote Down Extremist Anti-Trans Amendments to National Defense Bill

by Laurel Powell

Decision by Leader McCarthy to allow far-right amendments to National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) threatens health care for transgender service members

WASHINGTON—Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization, called upon members of the House of Representatives to reject extremist attempts to attach anti-LGBTQ+ amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The NDAA is a yearly defense bill that provides critical funding for national defense and has a long tradition of bipartisan support. House Republican leadership has abandoned bipartisanship to instead cave to the demands of a small group of right-wing extremists to allow votes on a number of controversial amendments, including attacks on LGBTQ+ service members and their families. The amendments slated to receive votes are expected to include a ban on best-practice, medically-necessary gender affirming care for service members and their families. Gender affirming care is supported by every major medical association, like the American Medical Association (AMA), which collectively represents millions of American doctors.

House Republicans have a choice this week. They can reject these politicized amendments that single out transgender service members and their families or they can embrace the anti-LGBTQ+ extremists in the House of Representatives. We call on the House to reject these cynical and cruel attacks on the LGBTQ+ community, which fly in the face of overwhelming evidence and are being used as a political weapon. Injecting their self-ignited culture war into this national defense bill is a recipe for disaster.”

David Stacy, HRC Vice President of Government Affairs

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