National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027

Floor Speech

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Ms. BOEBERT. Madam Chair, I rise today in support of America's brave men and women in uniform to ensure America's warriors have the tools and environment they need to defend our Nation.

Shortly after taking his second oath of office, President Trump acted to protect our servicemembers. He signed an executive order prioritizing military excellence and readiness to prevent radical transgenders from serving in the United States military.

My amendment codifies this executive order, ensuring the integrity of America's great Armed Forces is not jeopardized.

Gender dysphoria was considered a mental disorder by psychologists for decades until 2019. Even the leftist World Health Organization listed it as a mental illness in the international classification of diseases.

According to the Williams Institute, 81 percent of transgender adults have seriously contemplated suicide. That is 15 times higher than the general population. Forty-two percent of transgender adults have attempted suicide, and 56 percent have harmed themselves. People with gender dysphoria are a danger to themselves and others.

The United States military possesses the most powerful weapons known to man. We are the largest Air Force and Navy in the world, with nuclear weapons, artillery, and a host of other weapons with immense destructive capacity.

Every day we trust our brave men and women in uniform to protect us and to use these weapons that we possess responsibly for the defense of America.

We the people have placed our faith and trust in our Armed Forces, and they have placed their faith in this Congress to make responsible policy.

The United States of America cannot allow mentally ill individuals to possess and operate these weapons, and this Congress cannot allow transgenders to jeopardize the safety and readiness of our Armed Forces.

My amendment protects America's servicemembers, ensures force readiness, and prevents dangerous individuals from accessing destructive weapons. No other severely mentally ill person would ever be allowed in the Armed Forces, and this Congress should not make any exception for gender dysphoria. The risk to the American people and our Armed Forces is simply too great.

Secretary Hegseth has often highlighted the need to restore the warrior ethos in the Department of War. After the Armed Forces endured 4 years of waste, fraud, and abuse under the Biden administration, President Trump and Secretary Hegseth have restored the United States military to greatness.

Keeping weapons out of the hands of dangerous, mentally ill individuals is a critical step in maintaining this warrior ethos.

I am proud to support the President in ensuring the United States Armed Forces remains the finest military in the world.

My amendment to codify the President's executive order ensures servicemembers are of sound mind, body, and discipline, and no future administration can rescind these protections for America's heroes.

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Ms. BOEBERT. Madam Chair, since a member of this committee did not reserve the time, I reserve my right to close at this time.

I would just say if gender dysphoria isn't a mental illness, then why do 42 percent of those who identify as transgender attempt suicide?

We don't hand nuclear weapons and fighter jets to people in that kind of crisis. We shouldn't start now. We should be helping these people in real ways rather than handing them weapons of destruction.

This is a very serious issue that we should address right now. No other severe mental disorder gets a waiver into the United States military. Schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, they are all disqualifying. Gender dysphoria is no different, except politicians changed the label.

My amendment treats it exactly the same. Madam Chair, I urge adoption of my amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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Ms. BOEBERT. No. I closed.

The Acting Chair. The gentlewoman's time has expired.

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Ms. BOEBERT. That was not a member who claimed time from this committee. He was not able to claim the time in opposition.

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Ms. BOEBERT. And he doesn't get any time to close.

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Ms. BOEBERT. He has no time remaining, Madam Chair.

He is not a member of the committee, and he claimed time in opposition. You didn't, sir.

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Ms. BOEBERT. My time, my right to close, and I closed.

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Ms. BOEBERT. There are no further arguments on this amendment.

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