National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024

Floor Speech

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Mr. ROSENDALE. Madam Chair, today I rise in support of my amendment No. 10.

Amendment No. 10 is a very simple amendment. It would prohibit TRICARE from covering sex reassignment surgeries and hormone treatment for transgender individuals. The most recent numbers tell us that the Department of Defense has performed over 240 gender reassignment surgeries, costing taxpayers approximately $3.1 million.

Unfortunately, that is just a small part of the cost associated with this transaction. The Department has spent over $11.5 million on psychotherapy. That is it; psychotherapy for servicemembers with gender dysphoria.

The amount of funds paid out for this psychotherapy shows that the surgery alone cannot solve the root issue for these individuals. This does nothing to help our troops continue to be the most effective fighting force on Earth and is nothing but a distraction and a waste of valuable taxpayer dollars. The government has no business funding these procedures on the taxpayer's dime.

The question that must be asked is whether having trans individuals makes the United States a more lethal force and whether it helps recruit the best and most effective talent for the United States military. The answer to that is a clear and resounding no.

A report commissioned by General Mattis found that servicemembers with claims of gender dysphoria are eight times more likely to attempt suicide than other servicemembers. It also found that these individuals are nine times more likely to have negative mental health episodes than other servicemembers.

As Thomas Spoehr, a former Army Lieutenant General put it, if those with gender dysphoria are at a much higher risk of suicide, crippling anxiety, or mental breakdowns, then their peers, those serving next to them, will be reluctant to rely on them.

Permitting them to serve also violates the principle of not placing individuals at greater risk of injury in harm's way.

Madam Chair, to summarize this, anything that does not contribute to making our fighting force the most effective fighting force on Earth is nothing more than a distraction, and I will not ask the people of Montana or the United States to pay for it.

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Mr. ROSENDALE. Madam Chair, let me reiterate these numbers again. These individuals are eight times more likely to attempt suicide--eight times more likely to attempt suicide--and nine times more likely to have negative mental health episodes than other servicemembers.

United States military veterans are experiencing 21 suicides a day, and we are doing everything we can in the Veterans' Affairs Committee to reduce that number. Why in the world are we considering bringing individuals in that are going to increase that number?

If these individuals are that troubled on an ordinary day without the pressures of war, why would we risk our Nation's security on them in wartime? It just simply does not make sense.

Allowing this radical trans agenda to infiltrate our military will put our servicemembers and my constituents in harm's way and will make our country more vulnerable than it has ever been in modern history.

My commonsense amendment would save the taxpayers millions of dollars and help protect our servicemembers, as well as our country, and maybe save a lot of lives as well.

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Mr. ROSENDALE. Madam Chair, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining.

The ACTING Chair. The gentleman from Montana has 1\1/4\ minutes remaining.

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Mr. ROSENDALE. Madam Chair, I yield myself the balance of my time.

What this is, it just shows the extent to which the Biden administration has been pushing this agenda into our military, and it is weakening our military. It is not making it stronger.

We have drag shows taking place at Malmstrom Air Force Base. There are 150 ICBM missiles being controlled by that Air Force base and by these individuals. I don't want someone who doesn't know if they are a man or a woman with their hand on a missile button.

We have explicit library books on display for children at Malmstrom Air Force Base and the U.S. Navy's digital ambassador program featuring drag queens posting on TikTok.

The Department of Defense is paying for travel expenses and is offering up to 21 days of leave for soldiers and their dependents to get abortions.

Again, let me tell you that anything that is not focused on making the United States military the most effective fighting force on Earth is nothing more than a distraction, and we should not be paying for it.

I won't ask the people of Montana to pay for it, and I will not ask the people across the United States to pay for it.

Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

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