WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representative Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06) introduced the Women Add Resourcefulness and Resilience to Improve Operational Readiness (WARRIOR) Act, a bill to codify the role of women in combat and protect women’s ability to serve through the creation of true gender-neutral standards.  

Rep. Houlahan, an Air Force veteran, introduced the bill with Rep. Maggie Goodlander (NH-01), a Navy Reserve veteran and only other female veteran in the U.S. House, and cosponsors Rep. Gil Cisneros (CA-31), Rep. Jason Crow (CO-06), Rep. Pat Ryan (NY-18), Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-04), and Rep. Derek Tran (CA-45). 

In honor of Women’s History Month, and in response to the Pentagon review of the “effectiveness” of women in combat roles, the WARRIOR Act proactively affirms women’s qualifications to serve in combat. The legislation amends outdated law from 1996 and 2006 to ensure that women are judged on their skills, performance, and the gender-neutral standards that women in combat are already meeting and exceeding. In so doing, the WARRIOR Act prevents any exclusion of women in our Armed Forces. 

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has repeatedly cast doubt on women’s ability to serve in combat roles. In a House Armed Services Committee hearing in June, Rep. Houlahan exposed Sec. Hegseth’s refusal to acknowledge that women are capable of lethality. This disdain for female servicemembers underscores the need for the WARRIOR Act and the protections it ensures for military women.  

“Now more than ever, we should be supporting each and every servicemember willing to wear the uniform, not scrutinizing and pushing out qualified women simply because they are women,” said Rep. Houlahan. “The WARRIOR Act protects our servicemembers, ensuring that no one is excluded from a military assignment on the basis of gender. This bill is about strength – the strength of our military standards, the strength of the women who meet them, and the strength of our nation when we enable these women to serve.”

“America is the land of the free because we are the home of millions of women who have worn the uniform and answered the call to serve,” said Rep. Goodlander. “The WARRIOR Act is about one simple principle: if you can meet the standard, you deserve a fair shot—full stop. This commonsense bill will make our military stronger, our country safer, and ensure every qualified service member is judged by their ability, not their gender.”  

“I’m honored to join Representatives Houlahan and Goodlander to introduce the WARRIOR Act and reaffirm what Veterans already know: women serving in our armed forces make our country stronger and safer,” said Rep. Tran. “The WARRIOR Act will ensure that anyone with the tenacity and talent for military service can join in the fight to defend our freedoms. This is about more than women’s rightful place in our armed forces – it’s about strengthening our military, improving readiness, and ensuring our national security for generations to come. We need the best possible soldiers in each and every role across our armed forces, and I’m proud to continue standing alongside the women who have served and continue to serve this country.” 

“My fellow soldiers I served with in Iraq are heroes – every last one of them. Our nation is stronger because of the female servicemembers who love this country so much they’re willing to risk their lives to defend it,” said Rep. Ryan. “Everybody who has served – including Hegseth, whether he’s willing to admit it or not – owes a debt of gratitude to their heroism. Any attempt to desecrate that service or make it harder for the next generation of Patriotic young women to join up, is a massive disservice to their talent and readiness of our armed services as a whole. I’m proud to join my female combat veteran colleagues to introduce this critical legislation.” 

“As a United States Navy Veteran and former Under Secretary of Defense, I can say that some of the best individuals I have served with have been woman. It is ridiculous that their value to our country in uniform is continuously being questioned by this administration,” said Rep. Cisneros. “Over 4,500 women currently serve in combat related roles; no one bent the rules on fitness standards to get them there. They earned it by merit. With the WARRIOR Act, we can ensure that anyone qualified for a military service role is eligible to be considered through fair, holistic evaluation based on their ability, regardless of their gender identity.” 

The WARRIOR Act is endorsed by the Women in Service Coalition Inc. (WiSCI), Vet Voice Foundation, Minority Veterans of America, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), and the National Women’s Law Center Action Fund (NWLC AF). 

“We know from history that women have always had the grit and courage to face enemy fire, fight, lead, and rescue their fellow service members. Today's women have met and exceeded the standards for military service, including the grueling male standards for combat arms,” said Sue Fulton, Executive Director of WiSCI. “Five thousand women currently serve in these roles; and while they have met these challenging physical standards, they have often outpaced their peers with superior problem-solving skills, maturity, and long-term endurance. Women have made our military stronger, smarter, and better across the Services – and in the past ten years, they have made our tip-of-the-spear fighting force – infantry, armor, artillery, combat aviation – stronger, smarter, and better. We can’t afford to weaken our fighting forces by disqualifying people based on someone’s personal feelings or ideology.” 

“We have more than a decade of data, thousands of women in combat arms, and zero evidence that women weaken the force. In fact, the opposite is true. Women have met the standard, exceeded it, and proven their place on the battlefield. Reopening this question now is a distraction at best and a threat to military effectiveness at worst,” said Janessa Goldbeck, CEO, Vet Voice Foundation. “If you sideline qualified warfighters because of extremist ideology, you don’t get a stronger military, you get a weaker one. Vet Voice is proud to support the WARRIOR Act. We applaud Representative Houlahan’s leadership and urge all Members to come together and pass this important bill without delay.”  

"Service members have been meeting rigorous, job-specific standards for decades, particularly in operational and combat roles where requirements are tied to mission demands. This legislation affirms that service members must meet the standards required to succeed in today’s military and recognizes that excellence is defined by skill, performance, and ability, not gender,” said Lindsay Church, Executive Director of Minority Veterans of America. “Military readiness is best ensured by allowing every qualified person the opportunity to serve in any role, including in combat."   

“Since the founding of our nation, women have proudly and honorably served in defense of our country. This commonsense update to gender-neutral occupational standards reflects what we already know to be true: women are a force multiplier across the military,” said Dr. Kyleanne Hunter, CEO of IAVA. “As the fastest-growing group of recruits, ensuring women remain eligible to serve in all roles is not only grounded in science—it’s essential to our national security. IAVA is encouraged to see standards that reflect both our nation’s mission and the modern force that serves it.” 

“Women serve an invaluable role in our military, displaying courage, skill, and commitment. Our national security and today’s military readiness, recruitment and retention depend on the many women serving their country in the military, including in combat,” said Gaylynn Burroughs, Vice President for Education and Workplace Justice at NWLC AF. “But as this administration has made clear, too often their role is undermined and even attacked. The WARRIOR Act reinforces that individuals should be judged on individual merit and ability, not gender-based stereotypes. The bill recognizes the important role of women in the military by prohibiting any exclusions from military occupational specialties or assignments because of gender. We thank Congresswomen Houlahan and Goodlander for taking action and introducing this timely and important legislation.” 

A fact sheet on the WARRIOR Act is available here.  

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