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Linda Sánchez Statement on President Trump’s Decision to Ban Transgender Individuals from Serving in the United States Military

July 26, 2017

Washington, D.C. – House Democratic Caucus Vice Chair Linda Sánchez (D-CA), a member of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus, today released the following statement after President Donald Trump announced a ban on transgender individuals from serving in the U.S. military:

"Transgender members of our military deserve national praise for their dedication and service to our country. They serve our country every day with distinction and courage. Instead, this morning they were demeaned by the commander-in-chief via Twitter. This has to stop.

"Banning qualified and trained transgender individuals from serving in our military weakens our national defense. I am committed to ensuring that our military is the best trained, best equipped, and most supported fighting force in the world. This arbitrary decision by Donald Trump does nothing does not make our country safer or improve readiness."