GOP blocks Dems effort to stop renaming of Naval vessel

Earlier this week, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced his intention to rename a Naval vessel that was named after Harvey Milk, a gay rights activist.  

This outraged Democrats, who vowed to stop Hegseth, but congressional Republicans just put up a roadblock to stop that effort dead in its tracks.  

Hegseth Stirs Things Up 

The USNS Harvey Milk (T-AO-206) is a John Lewis-class replenishment oiler assigned to the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier group.  

Hegseth started a firestorm by announcing that he was going to rename the vessel to better reflect the warrior culture he and Trump are trying to restore to our military.  

I could not help by note the timing of the announcement, which took place just as Pride Month was beginning, and I am sure Hegseth did so for maximum outrage on the left.  

It worked, as Democrats and the LGBTQ+ community unloaded on him.  

Sparking Outrage 

The move was clearly not perceived well, especially since Milk was a Navy veteran (he was kicked out for being gay after having served four years).  

A former friend of Milk’s, Cleve Jones, who is also an LGBTQ+ activist, stated, “Yes, this is cruel and petty and stupid, and yes, it’s an insult to my community. 

“I would be willing to wager a considerable sum that American families sitting around that proverbial kitchen table this evening are not going to be talking about how much safer they feel now that Harvey’s name is going to be taken off that ship.” 

I get that he is upset over the announcement, but to say that people are going to feel “less safe” over this is a bit ridiculous to me. However, it now seems to be the go-to claim by the left whenever they don’t like something.  

Schiff Blocked 

On Thursday, Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) tried to push through legislation that would have blocked Hegseth, but Senate Republicans were able to knock it right off the rails.  

In making his case, Schiff stated, “The Navy has seen fit to honor these civil rights icons – who spent their lives fighting for the rights of the American people – by naming ships in their honor. We learned this week, however, that the Secretary of Defense does not share the view that these leaders are worthy of the honor of recognition that the Navy has bestowed upon them. 

“Today I offer a simple resolution. It says that the Senate believes that it is important and worthwhile to honor civil rights leaders by naming ships after them, and it expresses the Senate’s view that the Department of Defense should not seek to remove these names.” 

His effort was blocked, with Republicans citing Navy traditions for the naming of its ships, allowing Hegseth to name ships after people or things that matter the most to sailors, not government officials.