Bell, Tokuda, Horsford Lead Colleagues in Urging Pentagon to Reverse Discriminatory Shaving Waiver Policy

Washington, D.C.—U.S. Representatives Wesley Bell (D-Mo.), Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii), and Steven Horsford (D-Nev.) led 39 of their colleagues in sending a letter to Secretary of Defense Peter Hegseth condemning the Department of Defense’s decision to administratively separate service members with long-term medical shaving waivers. The lawmakers warned that the policy will disproportionately harm Black service members, undermine troop morale, and needlessly reduce military readiness.

Medical shaving waivers are granted to protect service members with conditions such as pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB)—a chronic skin condition that disproportionately affects Black men—from physical harm caused by shaving. Studies show that between 45 and 83 percent of Black service members experience PFB, compared to much lower rates among other populations.

"We write to you regarding your recent announcement that service members with medical shaving waivers lasting longer than one year will be processed for administrative separation and may be involuntarily separated from the Armed Forces. This decision is unjust, discriminatory in impact, and corrosive to both the readiness and morale of our Armed Forces," wrote the lawmakers.

"Unfortunately, this policy does not increase troop readiness or make our Armed Forces a more effective, leaner, and more lethal military. In fact, forcing high-performing members with PFB to separate will decrease troop morale and will result in the loss of experienced members of our Armed Forces, including those in critical skill fields who are impossible to replace in the near term, which, unlike shaving waivers, would decrease the capacity of the military to meet its missions. This is a significant loss of talent, training, and taxpayer investment. Worse, it sends the damaging message that troops are disposable when their medical needs do not conform to your narrow and rigid rules," continued the lawmakers.

"We urge you to immediately suspend implementation of this policy and develop a fairer, more just standard that effectively supports members with chronic medical conditions and religious exemptions while maintaining unit readiness," concluded the lawmakers.

Signers of the letter include Donald Beyer (D-Va.), Nikki Budzinski (D-Ill.), André Carson (D-Ind.), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.), Judy Chu (D-Calif.), Gilbert Cisneros (D-Calif.), Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.), Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.), Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), Jason Crow (D-Colo.), Christopher Deluzio (D-Pa.), Sarah Elfreth (D-Md.), John Garamendi (D-Calif.), Daniel Goldman (D-N.Y.), Maggie Goodlander (D-N.H.), Steven Horsford (D-Nev.), Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.), Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.), Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), Morgan McGarvey (D-Ky.), James McGovern (D-Mass.), Dave Min (D-Calif.), Gwen Moore (D-Wis.), Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), Eleanor Norton (D-D.C.), Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.), Emily Randall (D-Wash.), Bradley Schneider (D-Ill.), Lateefah Simon (D-Calif.), Eric Sorensen (D-Ill.), Marilyn Strickland (D-Wash.), Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii), Marc Veasey (D-Texas), Nydia Velázquez (D-N.Y.), Eugene Vindman (D-Va.), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), and George Whitesides (D-Calif.).

Read the full text of the letter here.
 

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