House Defeats Anti-Trans Troops Measure

The U.S. House of Representatives defeated an amendment to the Pentagon budget bill that would have banned medical care “related to gender transition.” The measure, introduced by Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO), was defeated in the lower chamber 214-209, with 24 Republicans voting against it. Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) said during a floor debate on the amendment that individuals should “figure out if you’re man or woman before you join.” Democrats and some Republicans hailed the amendment’s defeat, and the Human Rights Campaign called it a “dangerous” provision that posed threats to “military readiness and national security.”