Scoop: Democrats' bill hits back at Hegseth on renaming USNS Harvey Milk, other ships

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.Why it matters: 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.By the numbers: A dozen House Democrats, most notably former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who represents Milk's native San Francisco, have signed on to cosponsor the bill.It has no Republican cosponsors, however, and with the GOP in control of both chambers of Congress, it is extremely unlikely to pass.Democrats may try to roll the bill into a sweeping annual defense authorization package if they retake control of Congress in 2026.Zoom out: Democrats and Hegseth are engaged in an escalating war of words, with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) having called on the defense secretary to be fired over Signalgate.During a House Committee on Armed Services hearing on Thursday, Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.) told Hegseth to "get the hell out" of the Defense Department."You're an embarrassment to this country," Carbajal replied after Hegseth dismissed his question about whether political allegiance to Trump is a requirement to serve in the military as "silly."

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