McCain seeks to block Trump's transgender ban

The man who has made his name in Washington, D.C. by being a maverick in his party is thwarting President Donald Trump again.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is co-sponsoring a bill which would block Trump’s transgender ban. The ban, which was announced on Twitter in July, dictates that transgender members of the military who are currently serving could be removed from their positions. The order would also ban transgender people from enlisting.

The ban is currently in limbo as Defense Secretary James Mattis assembles a panel of experts to decide how best to enact the ban.

S. 1820, the bill which aims to block President Trump’s transgender ban, is sponsored by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and co-sponsored by McCain, Sens. Jack Reed (D-RI) and Susan Collins (R-Maine).

The bill has three parts. First, it states that “individuals who are qualified and can meet the standards to serve in the military should be eligible to serve.”

Second, it states that currently serving members of the military cannot be “involuntarily separated” or “denied reenlistment or continuation” on the basis of their gender identity. This section of the bill also explicitly states that transgender military members are not exempted from meeting military and medical standards.

Third, the bill places a deadline of Dec. 31, 2017 for the completion of Mattis' review.

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http://www.statepress.com/article/2017/09/sppolitics-mccain-cosponsors-bill-to-block-transgender-ban