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6d ago

Lawmakers Escalate Campaign Against Pentagon’s Plan to Rename USNS Harvey Milk

Lawmakers argue the order dishonors Milk’s service, urging Secretary Hegseth to rescind it ahead of the Navy’s pending review.

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Overview

  • Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a June 3 order directing the Navy to strip the USNS Harvey Milk of its name, saying the department is not interested in naming ships after activists.
  • At a June 11 Senate Appropriations hearing, Hegseth defended the renaming decision and cited an executive order–backed rationale that activists’ names conflict with military naming policies.
  • Hegseth also defended the administration’s ban on transgender service members, citing mental health concerns and saying the department conducted “extensive analysis.”
  • On June 12, Rep. Eric Sorensen challenged Navy Secretary John Phelan in a House Armed Services hearing, highlighting Milk’s Korean War service and calling the order an insult to LGBTQ+ veterans.
  • Nearly 70 House Democrats, led by Reps. Jill Tokuda and Nancy Pelosi, signed a letter demanding the renaming order be rescinded and other civil rights–named ships remain intact while the Navy completes its review.