Discussion · House of Representatives
Sara Jacobs Democrat
“I oppose this amendment. Transgender people already serve in the military, and studies show they do not harm readiness. Kicking out qualified troops wastes money and hurts our armed forces.”
“Madam Chair, it seems like my colleague on the other side of the aisle has just as little understanding of parliamentary procedure as she has understanding of military readiness. This amendment is a waste of time. The trans military already exists. This executive order is already in effect. So what does this amendment actually do? It makes discrimination permanent. RAND and the Pentagon have already studied this. They concluded that allowing trans Americans to serve openly doesn’t hurt unit cohesion, operational effectiveness, or readiness. Commanders said it made their force stronger. Do you know what actually hurts readiness? Kicking out trans servicemembers despite their stellar performance and discharging people we have spent time, money, and resources training because of who they are, not how they performed. That costs money. That hurts readiness. Secretary Hegseth loves talking about the importance of meritocracy in the military, but kicking out qualified people because he doesn’t like their identity is the exact opposite of meritocracy. If you are really cynical and think that trans people only serve to get their healthcare paid for, you would be wrong. The Pentagon spent 6,400 times more on trans servicemembers’ career development than on their healthcare. One of the trans servicemembers I met told me that their most costly procedure was for their shoulder reconstruction after being injured in the line of duty. For the record, shoulder reconstruction has nothing to do with being trans. Here is the double standard at the heart of this amendment. Hormone therapy is standard, evidence-based care. They just made a whole new policy about it.”
Madam Chair, it seems like my colleague on the other side of the aisle has just as little understanding of parliamentary procedure as she has understanding of military readiness. This amendment is a waste of time. The trans military already exists. This executive order is already in effect. So what does this amendment actually do? It makes discrimination permanent. RAND and the Pentagon have already studied this. They concluded that allowing trans Americans to serve openly doesn’t hurt unit cohesion, operational effectiveness, or readiness. Commanders said it made their force stronger. Do you know what actually hurts readiness? Kicking out trans servicemembers despite their stellar performance and discharging people we have spent time, money, and resources training because of who they are, not how they performed. That costs money. That hurts readiness. Secretary Hegseth loves talking about the importance of meritocracy in the military, but kicking out qualified people because he doesn’t like their identity is the exact opposite of meritocracy. If you are really cynical and think that trans people only serve to get their healthcare paid for, you would be wrong. The Pentagon spent 6,400 times more on trans servicemembers’ career development than on their healthcare. One of the trans servicemembers I met told me that their most costly procedure was for their shoulder reconstruction after being injured in the line of duty. For the record, shoulder reconstruction has nothing to do with being trans. Here is the double standard at the heart of this amendment. Hormone therapy is standard, evidence-based care. They just made a whole new policy about it.