WaPo is reporting that multiple GOP members are speaking out against Trump's ban of transgender military service members: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...79535630fb0436795432a6/?wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1
-- Reflecting how dramatically the national conversation on LGBTQ rights has shifted in recent years, the news drew swift rebukes from several leading Republicans in the Senate.
War hero John McCain, the preeminent Republican voice on national security, took a break from battling brain cancer to send this statement: The Presidents tweet regarding transgender Americans in the military is yet another example of why major policy announcements should not be made via Twitter. There is no reason to force service members who are able to fight, train, and deploy to leave the military regardless of their gender identity. We should all be guided by the principle that any American who wants to serve our country and is able to meet the standards should have the opportunity to do so and should be treated as the patriots they are.
From Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a former Army Reserve commander and the first female combat veteran elected to the Senate: While she believes taxpayers shouldnt cover the costs associated with a gender reassignment surgery, Americans who are qualified and can meet the standards to serve in the military should be afforded that opportunity, spokeswoman Brook Hougesen told the Des Moines Register.
From Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), who is up for reelection in one of the reddest and most socially conservative states in America:
From Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), who wields a lot of control over the Pentagons budget from his perch on the Senate Appropriations subcommittee: You ought to treat everybody fairly and give everybody a chance to serve, he said on CNN. In a follow-up statement to the Huntsville Times, he added: The current policy is a big tent for people who want to serve. You've got to remember, our military force is a voluntary force.
From Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.): I would have significant objections to any proposal that calls for a specific group of American patriots currently serving in uniform to be removed from the military.
From Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), who served in the Marines: Im all about training standards. High, high standards for whoever joins the military, he told HuffPost. But my initial reaction is, if you can meet those standards, we shouldnt care who you are. So, meet the standards, and you should be able to join the military.
Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), whose openly gay son prompted him to come out for gay rights in 2013: The Secretary of Defense is conducting a study of this policy and Rob believes we should wait until that is complete before making any decisions, a spokeswoman told in-state press.
