The U.S. House on Thursday approved an
amendment that reverses President Donald Trump's ban on transgender
troops.
The legislation would also prohibit the
U.S. Military from discriminating against service members who
identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.
The amendment cleared the chamber on a
mostly party-line vote of 242-187. Ten Republicans joined a united
Democratic caucus in voting for the measure. Trump's ban on
transgender military service went into effect roughly four months
after the Supreme Court gave its okay as several cases challenging
the ban's constitutionality move through the courts.
California Representative Jackie
Speier, a Democrat, introduced the amendment to the fiscal year 2020
defense authorization bill.
In a statement, Speier called passage a
“watershed moment in the fight to celebrate and protect open
transgender military service.”
“Courageous transgender
servicemembers continue to fight for our country despite the
president’s hateful ban and deserve to know we stand with them,”
Speier said. “Our country has a shameful history of preventing
people from serving based on bias, ignorance and malice. This is the
first time Congress has voted to ensure that no discriminatory
standard based on race, religion, national origin or sex can prevent
qualified individuals from serving their country. Our military is
strongest when it embodies our nation’s values.”
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the
nation's largest LGBT rights advocate, cheered passage of the
amendment.
“Transgender troops have served
openly with distinction for years, and they and their fellow service
members deserve nothing less than the respect of a grateful nation,”
HRC National Press Secretary Sarah McBride said in a statement. “The
Trump-Pence administration’s trans troop ban goes against medical
experts, military leadership and budget analysts; it is unsound,
unpopular, and unpatriotic. We are grateful to Congresswoman Speier
and the strong, bipartisan majority of the House who voted for this
amendment to ensure all transgender military service members have
equal non-discrimination protections.”