House Democrats are introducing a bill that would block the U.S. Navy from renaming the USNS Harvey Milk and other ships named for civil rights figures, Axios has learned.
The bill is a long shot, but it is the latest signal of growing animosity between congressional Democrats and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, driven in part by the Pentagon chief’s anti-DEI crusade.
In addition to Milk, the two-page bill would stop the Navy from renaming ships named for Cesar Chavez, Medgar Evers, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Dolores Huerta, Thurgood Marshall, Lucy Stone and Harriet Tubman.
“Secretary Hegseth claims that this hateful move would return a ‘warrior ethos’ to the force, but renaming these ships won’t help better train or equip a single servicemember,” said Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.), who introduced the bill.
State of play: Hegseth last week ordered the Navy to rename the USNS Harvey Milk in a rare move.
Milk was a gay icon who served as a naval officer in the Korean War but was discharged due to his sexual orientation. He was shot and killed in 1978. The Navy is also reportedly considering renaming several other ships that are named after the civil rights leaders mentioned in Peters’ bill.
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Author: Marty Kaufmann
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