Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland, on Saturday ripped into the Trump administration for delaying the acceptance of transgender soldiers to serve in the military until at least 2018, The Hill reports.
"It is outrageous that the Trump Administration would issue a delay in allowing transgender Americans to serve openly in our military without providing any evidence to support such a decision," the House minority whip said in a statement.
"We need to ensure that all those who are talented, driven, and capable and who wish to serve in defense of our country – often in mission-critical positions – are able to do so," he said. "If the Pentagon cannot adequately explain or justify this reversal in the policy implementation, it ought not to pursue it.”
Defense Secretary James Mattis made the announcement just hours before a July 1 deadline set during the Obama administration for the military to recruit transgender enlisted troops and accept new officers.
"Secretary Mattis today approved a recommendation by the services to defer accessing transgender applicants into the military until Jan. 1, 2018," Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said in a statement. "The services will review their accession plans and provide input on the impact to the readiness and lethality of our forces."
Human Rights Campaign press secretary Stephen Peters told The Hill the move by Mattis "restricts the armed forces' ability to recruit the best and the brightest, regardless of gender identity."
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