Ted Budd Blocks Bill to Keep Harvey Milk's Name on Navy Ship

Navy Ship Naming Traditions

• ⚓ The US Navy has a long tradition of naming its ships, with aircraft carriers often named after US presidents and submarines after states.
• 🚢 The newest class of fleet replenishment oilers are named the John Lewis class, honoring civil rights icons.

Honoring Civil Rights Icons

• 💡 The John Lewis class of oilers are named after figures such as John Lewis, Earl Warren, Robert F. Kennedy, and Harvey Milk.
• 🌟 Future ships in this class are slated to be named after Harriet Tubman, Dolores Huerta, Thurgood Marshall, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Joshua Goldberg, and Thomas Parm.
• 🏳️ Harvey Milk, a Korean War veteran and the first openly gay elected official in San Francisco, is among those honored.

Defense Secretary's Decision

• ⚠️ The Secretary of Defense has ordered officials to remove the name Harvey Milk from a ship, citing a desire for names more aligned with the "warrior ethos."
• 🗓️ This decision was announced at the beginning of Pride Month, leading to accusations of political motivation.
• 🚫 The move is seen by some as part of a pattern of removing names and figures associated with civil rights and diversity from defense assets.

Legislative Response and Objection

• 📜 A resolution was introduced in the Senate expressing the belief that honoring civil rights leaders by naming ships after them is important and that the Department of Defense should not remove these names.
• ❌ Senator Ted Budd objected to the resolution, stating that ship naming should involve input from the sailors who will crew the vessels and that the previous administration broke with naval customs.
• 🗣️ Senator Adam Schiff argued that the resolution merely expresses approval of the existing names and does not force the Navy to keep them, urging support for honoring these individuals.