Congresswomen Grace Meng, D-NY, chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) and representative of a diverse population in Queens, is calling on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to re-examine his proposed changes to grooming practices for armed forces personnel.
Ahead of Veterans Day, on November 10, Rep. Meng and Rep. Ted Lieu, D-California, vice chair of the House Democratic Caucus and CAPAC Veterans and Armed Services Taskforce Chair, led 48 Members of Congress in sending a letter to Secretary Hegseth. The letter addresses his plans to restrict religious accommodations for facial hair in the United States Armed Forces.
Rep. Meng, serving her seventh term in the United States House of Representatives, is notably the first female Congressmember from Queens since former Vice Presidential nominee Geraldine Ferraro.
The letter follows a September 30 speech by Secretary Hegseth to high-ranking officers, in which he stated, “the era of rampant and ridiculous shaving profiles is done” and declared there would be “no more beards, long hair, [or] superficial individual expression.”
CAPAC, in its November 10 press release, condemned these changes, stating they would force thousands of servicemembers—including Sikhs, Jews, Muslims, Christians, Rastafarians, and other religious personnel—to choose between practicing their faith or continuing their military service.
The letter urges Secretary Hegseth to pause the 60-day implementation timeline for this new policy. It also requests clarity on how religious accommodations for facial hair will be maintained and respected, particularly for troops whose religions require such practices.
“Our nation’s servicemembers have proven time and time again that they can honor their religious beliefs while serving with distinction,” said Rep. Meng. “These brave men and women put their lives on the line to protect our country and the rights enshrined in the Constitution. It is nothing short of a moral failing to restrict their First Amendment rights while asking them to protect ours.”
Rep. Lieu added, “Service members should be able to serve their country while honoring their religious beliefs, full stop. It is hypocritical for the Department of Defense to ask members of our military to defend our Constitution, which includes the freedom of religion, while restricting their ability to practice their religion.”
Several religions require or strongly recommend men to keep their beards uncut. The press release explained, “For Sikh soldiers, shaving is like cutting off a limb. Other faith traditions, including Judaism, Islam, Christianity, and Rastafari, have rules governing facial hair and grooming practices.”
Legal precedents support religious accommodations in the military. In 2022, a federal court ruled in favor of Sikh recruits, allowing them to train with their beards and turbans. In 2011, an Orthodox Jewish rabbi settled a lawsuit against the U.S. Army, permitting him to keep his beard while serving as a military chaplain.
Last month, the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, Congressional Jewish Caucus, and Congressional Black Caucus Chairs issued a joint statement condemning Secretary Hegseth’s comments regarding grooming and uniform standards within the U.S. military.
The letter to Secretary Hegseth is endorsed by the Sikh Coalition and was signed by 50 Members of Congress, including:
– CAPAC Chair Grace Meng (NY-06)
– Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus Ted Lieu (CA-36)
– Reps. Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Wesley Bell (MO-01), Ami Bera (CA-06), Don Beyer (VA-08), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Judy Chu (CA-28), Gil Cisneros (CA-31), Yvette Clarke (NY-11), Emanuel Cleaver II (MO-05), Jim Costa (CA-21), Jason Crow (CO-06), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Lois Frankel (FL-22), John Garamendi (CA-08), Dan Goldman (NY-10), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Al Green (TX-09), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Doris Matsui (CA-07), Jim McGovern (MA-02), Gregory Meeks (NY-05), Jerry Nadler (NY-12), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Bobby Scott (VA-03), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Brad Sherman (CA-32), Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), Thomas Suozzi (NY-03), Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Mark Takano (CA-39), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Mike Thompson (CA-04), Bennie Thompson (MS-02), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Norma Torres (CA-35), Derek Tran (CA-45), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12).
This letter highlights the ongoing challenge of balancing military discipline with respect for religious freedoms, emphasizing the importance of protecting the constitutional rights of those who serve our nation.
https://newsindiatimes.com/capac-calls-out-defense-secretary-hegseth-on-religious-restrictions-relating-to-grooming/