1. United States
2. Md.
3. Letter

I am writing to express my profound disappointment and anger at your vote to pass the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) despite the inclusion of provisions that actively strip away protections for transgender Americans, people of color, and other marginalized communities. Your vote was not just a political decision; it was a betrayal of the trust your constituents placed in you to defend our rights and our dignity. Many of us supported your campaign because we believed you would be a steadfast advocate for equality and justice. Instead, by voting for this NDAA, you sided with those who are using the machinery of government to marginalize and erase us. This bill includes explicit attacks on transgender service members and students, restrictions on diversity and inclusion programs, and other regressive measures designed to roll back decades of progress. By supporting it, you signaled that our civil rights are negotiable; that our lives can be traded away for political convenience. That is unacceptable. The people of Maryland expected better. We expected courage; the courage to say no when injustice is embedded in legislation, even when doing so is politically inconvenient. Compromising on civil rights is not bipartisanship; it is capitulation. History will remember who stood up in these moments, and who turned away. I hope you will remember that your duty is not to appease extremists in Congress; but to protect the people you represent, especially those who are most vulnerable. We deserve representatives who will fight for us, not abandon us when it matters most.