CEC Celebrates Defeat of Trans Military Ban Amendment, Condemns Passage of Other Anti-LGBTQI+ NDAA Amendments
CEC Chair Rep. Mark Takano: “Republicans tried to codify Trump’s trans military ban into law, but my fellow members of the Congressional Equality Caucus and I put in countless hours of work in order to kill this amendment—and we were successful.”
Washington, DC — After two Republican-sponsored anti-LGBTQI+ amendments were adopted to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027 and the bill was passed through the House, Congressional Equality Caucus Chair Rep. Mark Takano released the following statement:
"Republicans tried to codify Trump’s trans military ban into law, but my fellow members of the Congressional Equality Caucus and I put in countless hours of work in order to kill this amendment—and we were successful. I’m grateful for the bipartisan vote to defeat this discriminatory amendment," said Rep. Mark Takano, Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus. "Nevertheless, Republicans were able to add two anti-LGBTQI+ amendments that endanger servicemembers’ children at DoDEA schools and restrict access to medically-necessary healthcare, including mental healthcare for servicemembers’ trans children. When Americans know they or their families are going to be targeted by or not supported by the military, that leads them to avoid signing up to serve or staying in the service—making it harder to keep the ranks of the armed services full and our nation safe. My colleagues in the Equality Caucus and I will continue working to prevent these attacks on our servicemembers and their families from becoming law."
BACKGROUND
House Republicans sponsored and adopted two anti-LGBTQI+ amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027. They include:
DEFEATED: Boebert Amendment #18: Codifying Trump’s trans military ban
This amendment would have codified Trump’s ban on transgender people serving in the military. Transgender people have served our nation for years without issue before Trump, including many who have earned distinctions and been honored for going above-and-beyond in their service. Recklessly ousting servicemembers because the President has decided he doesn’t like them threatens our national security, wastes resources, and harms Americans who have served their country with dignity and honor. This amendment would have codified this harmful ban into law—meaning the next President could not repeal the transgender military ban it without Congressional action.
This amendment was defeated by a vote of 212-217.
Mace Amendment #19: Ban on Mental Healthcare for Trans Youth & Medically Necessary Care for Trans People
This amendment would prohibit TRICARE from covering or furnishing “gender-related medical treatment,” defined to include puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and surgeries. It also amends the existing ban on TRICARE covering certain gender dysphoria treatments for people under 18, which currently reads: “Medical interventions for the treatment of gender dysphoria that could result in sterilization may not be provided to a child under the age of 18.” This amendment would remove the phrase “could result in sterilization,” which would result in the amendment prohibiting mental health care and counseling interventions for transgender young people.
Mace Amendment #20: Empowering child predators
This amendment requires DoDEA schools (PreK-12th Grade) to determine eligibility for girls’ sports teams based on young students’ reproductive systems. This amendment’s impact goes far beyond transgender kids. It would require girls as young as four to answer invasive personal questions about their bodies and face humiliating physical inspections of their private areas by adult strangers—opening the door to abuse. Every kid, transgender or cisgender, is at risk under this amendment.