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5d ago

Hegseth Faces Senate Scrutiny as Navy Moves to Strip USNS Harvey Milk of Its Name

A Senate hearing demanded the Pentagon’s analysis justifying the renaming decision, including its rationale for banning transgender service members.

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U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth takes the stage at a rally with U.S. Army troops on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images/TNS)

Overview

  • On June 3, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the USNS Harvey Milk to be renamed, declaring that Navy vessels should not honor activists.
  • During a June 11 Appropriations Committee hearing, Senator Tammy Baldwin challenged the timing of the move in Pride Month and urged focus on global security threats.
  • Navy Secretary John Phelan has been given until June 13 to propose a new name for the John Lewis–class replenishment ship.
  • The renaming directive aligns with wider efforts to dismantle diversity and anti-racism initiatives and enforce a ban on transgender individuals serving in the military.
  • LGBTQ+ advocates and some lawmakers contend that the actions undermine military inclusivity and reflect political motives over readiness concerns.