House Amendment Would Block Trump's Ban On Transgender Troops

An amendment that would block President Donald Trump's ban on transgender troops was introduced this week by a bipartisan group of lawmakers in the House.

The amendment is sponsored by Representatives Jackie Speier, a Democrat from California; A. Donald McEachin, a Democrat from Virginia; Susan Davis, a Democrat from California; and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Republican from Florida.

The lawmakers submitted the amendment to the House Rules Committee for consideration as part of this year's defense authorization bill.

According to the Washington Blade, the amendment seeks to allow transgender people to serve openly in the military and enter the U.S. military.

In July, Trump tweeted he would ban transgender people from serving in the military “in any capacity” and directed the Pentagon to reverse the Obama-era policy. LGBT rights groups filed four challenges to Trump's ban, blocking the administration from enacting the policy.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democrat from New York, is expected to introduce a similar amendment to the Senate version of the defense bill.