House Rejects Amendment on Transgender Military Ban

The House of Representatives voted against an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that sought to enshrine former President Donald Trump’s executive order, which prohibited military service for transgender individuals.

This amendment, introduced by Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), was defeated by a close vote of 212-217. Notably, four Republicans sided with Democrats to block the amendment: Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pennsylvania), Rep. Mike Lawler (R-New York), Rep. James Moylan of Guam, and Rep. Kimberly King-Hines of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Boebert expressed her discontent on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “Four ‘Republicans’ betrayed President Trump and the military by supporting transgender people. Horrible!”

The amendment was intended to solidify Trump’s policy, which, according to a January 2025 executive order, asserted that expressing a “gender identity” inconsistent with one’s biological sex does not meet the military’s rigorous standards for service.

The order elaborated that, beyond medical interventions like hormonal therapy or surgeries, adopting a gender identity contrary to one’s biological sex is inconsistent with the values of commitment and discipline expected from military personnel. It emphasized that a man’s assertion of being a woman—and expecting others to recognize this as truth—clashes with the ideal of humility and selflessness required in the military.

The president’s directive also prohibited men from using facilities designated for women, and vice versa, while stating that such arrangements compromised military integrity.

In June, the D.C. Court of Appeals overruled Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s attempts to expel transgender individuals from the military, blocking his decision. Meanwhile, 28 transgender individuals are currently involved in a lawsuit against the Trump administration relating to this executive order, although it did not affect existing bans on new transgender recruits.

While Boebert’s amendment did not succeed, two other amendments related to transgender issues by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-South Carolina) were approved by the House. One amendment bans the military’s health insurance program, TRICARE, from covering sex reassignment surgeries and medications, passing with a vote of 219-208, backed by five Democrats. The other amendment prevents men identifying as transgender from participating in K-12 girls’ sports teams in Defense Department-run schools, passing 221-203.

Mace stated confidently on X, “Both of my NDAA amendments that cover mentally ill transgender people and protect women and girls passed the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives with flying colors tonight.”

The NDAA is an annual piece of legislation that sets policies and budgets for national security programs, specifically within the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy.