WASHINGTON, DC—This week, after President Trump issued an executive order effectively banning transgender individuals from serving in the military, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement:

“All military members, including the thousands of transgender Americans who have stepped forward to serve our nation, swear the same oath to protect their fellow citizens.  The transgender members of our military have met the same qualifications, made the same sacrifices, and accomplished the same feats—including in combat—as their comrades in arms.  President Trump should be thanking these men and women for their service, not targeting them.

“This executive order endangers every American.  Our military is a merit-based organization, not a political one.  Every American with the skills and qualifications to meet the standards should have an opportunity to serve.  To willfully strip skilled troops from our ranks at a dangerous moment in the world is to invite disaster.

“We must recruit and retain every American who is willing and able to serve their country, and they should be able to serve openly, free of discrimination.  I urge President Trump to rescind this order immediately.”