The Obama administration issued a controversial directive allowing transgenders to openly serve in the military, including providing for sex change surgeries and hormone therapy.
The House recently voted down an amendment to deny funding for those controversial and costly procedures.
After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow……
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2017
….Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military. Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming…..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2017
….victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail. Thank you
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2017
QUICK POLL: Do you support Trump’s ban on transgenders in the military?
Politico reports on the background of this decision:
House Republicans were planning to pass a spending bill stacked with his campaign promises, including money to build his border wall with Mexico.
But an internal House Republican fight over transgender troops was threatening to blow up the bill. And House GOP insiders feared they might not have the votes to pass the legislation because defense hawks wanted a ban on Pentagon-funded sex reassignment operations — something GOP leaders wouldn’t give them.
They turned to Trump, who didn’t hesitate.
Now, Politico is finding sources who say Trump went too far:
The president’s directive, of course, took the House issue a step beyond paying for gender reassignment surgery and other medical treatment. House Republicans were never debating expelling all transgender troops from the military.
“This is like someone told the White House to light a candle on the table and the WH set the whole table on fire,” said one senior House Republican aide. The source said that while GOP leaders asked the White House for help on the taxpayer matter specifically, they weren’t expecting — and got no heads up on — Trump’s far-reaching directive.
Some in Congress are threatening to pass legislation to overturn Trump’s decision, so these questions could all quickly become topics of debate again.
What do you think about Trump’s decision?
QUICK POLL: Do you support Trump’s ban on transgenders in the military?