House defeats amendment to ban transgender service members

The U.S. House of Representatives rejected an amendment on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, that sought to permanently ban transgender people from serving in the military. The measure, introduced by Representative Lauren Boebert of Colorado, was defeated by a vote of 217 to 212.

The failed amendment aimed to codify into law an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on January 27, 2025. That order asserted that expressing a gender identity different from one's sex at birth was incompatible with military standards and directed the Pentagon to end certain accommodations. Boebert's proposal would have required all military personnel to serve according to their biological sex, a provision its supporters argued was necessary for military readiness and discipline.

The vote saw all voting Democrats oppose the measure. They were joined by four Republicans: Representatives Mike Lawler of New York and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, along with territorial delegates James Moylan of Guam and Kimberlyn KingHinds of the Northern Mariana Islands. The defeat represents a setback for efforts to enshrine the administration's policy in statute, though the underlying executive order remains in...