Political Quotes

“I rise to urge my colleagues to vote for a bipartisan amendment, No. 1051, to protect transgender servicemembers in our military. I want to thank my dear friend and colleague, Senator McCain, the chairman of the Armed Services Committee and his staff, for working with us on this bipartisan amendment to protect transgender servicemembers and for agreeing to support it here on the floor today. The amendment, which I was so proud to write with my Republican colleague from Maine, Senator Susan Collins, would prohibit the Department of Defense from discharging members of the military or denying them reenlistment opportunities because of their gender identity. It is essential that this Congress does not break faith with these brave servicemembers who have served their country honorably and with great sacrifice. As Members of the Senate, one of our most serious responsibilities is to stand up for the men and women who serve in our armed services. We have an obligation to represent their interests, to value and respect their service, and to give them the tools and resources they need to defend our country. Kicking out thousands of servicemembers simply because of their gender identity doesn't make our military stronger, it makes our military weaker. It doesn't save taxpayer money, it wastes taxpayer money. We have spent millions recruiting and training these highly skilled servicemembers. I want to be clear to those who misunderstand our U.S.…”