Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025

Floor Speech

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Ms. JACOBS of California. Mr. Chair, gender-affirming care is safe, effective, and medically necessary. It is supported by every major medical association in the United States representing more than 1.3 million U.S. doctors.

That is why I find it incredibly concerning that many of my colleagues across the aisle choose to demonize the transgender community, but I don't think they have ever met someone who is trans. Many of them seek to restrict, deny, and disparage gender-affirming care but have never met anyone who has actually received it.

Forgive me if I am not convinced by their naive talking points when this is something I know about personally.

Earlier this year, my trans brother, Dylan, received gender-affirming surgery after consultations with his doctor. He will tell you, Mr. Chair, that it was life-changing, and that is the case for so many in the trans community. He will tell you, Mr. Chair, contrary to my colleague's remarks, that he knows who he is. His body just doesn't match that.

Prohibiting gender-affirming care for our servicemembers not only compromises our national security, but it also hinders our recruitment and retention efforts.

Trans people are about twice as likely as all adults in the U.S. to serve in the Armed Forces. Why would we want to alienate this patriotic, selfless community from serving?

When servicemembers get the medical care they need, then they can focus on their mission without distraction. However, by denying servicemembers this medically necessary care, this amendment will hurt our military readiness and likely lead to servicemembers leaving the military. Our efforts to recruit would be severely weakened.

This amendment isn't only bigoted, it is shortsighted and would hurt our national security.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to listen to someone who actually knows something about the trans community and gender-affirming care and oppose this amendment.

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