Senate Democrats reportedly plan to submit a bill that would stop the Pentagon’s ban on military service for individuals diagnosed with gender dysphoria.
Democrat lawmakers are seeking to prevent the U.S. Department of Defense from prohibiting transgender military service via their “Fit to Serve Act,” according to a report by ABC News.
If passed, the legislation would stop the Defense Department from requiring military service members to serve according to their biological sex.
However, it remains to be seen how far the bill will advance given that only Democrats and one independent have co-sponsored it, while Republicans control both the legislative and executive branches of the federal government.
The policy is a result of an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on his first day in office. The rule went into effect in early May after the Supreme Court ruled it could be enforced, although the ban faces legal challenges in lower courts.
Earlier this year, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a memo stating that “individuals who have a current diagnosis or history of, or exhibit symptoms consistent with, gender dysphoria are incompatible with the high mental and physical standards necessary for military service.”
The Pentagon’s new policy required transgender service members to self-identify by June 6 and then begin the process of resigning. Meanwhile, transgender National Guard and Reserve service members still have until July 7 to complete the same action.
Due to the June 6 deadline having already passed, the Pentagon has begun the process of terminating transgender service members who did not voluntarily resign, ABC News noted.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), the lead sponsor of the bill filed in the Senate on Tuesday, claimed President Trump’s executive order banning military service for people who believe they are the opposite sex “makes us less safe.”
Along with Sen. Warren, the “Fit to Serve Act” is cosponsored by Sens. Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ed Markey (D-MA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), John Fetterman (D-PA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Andy Kim (D-NJ), and Cory Booker (D-NJ).
In addition to prioritizing reversing President Trump’s removal of military service members posing as the opposite sex, Sen. Van Hollen has also been advocating for illegal alien Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an accused MS-13 gang member, wife-beater, and human trafficker, who was deported to El Salvador in March.
Abrego Garcia is now back in the United States, where he faces human smuggling charges.
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for – News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
