Washington, D.C.—Ranking Member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Rick Larsen (D-WA) and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Salud Carbajal (D-CA) released the following statements after the Washington Post reported that the United States Coast Guard allowed a policy to take effect yesterday changing the classification of the swastika and nooses to "potentially divisive" symbols.
“After Admiral Lunday insisted that this shameful update to U.S. Coast Guard policy would be fixed, the Service went forward with its looser classification of hate symbols,” Ranking Member Larsen said. “The Coast Guard must fix this policy now—servicemembers deserve better."
“Swastikas and nooses are vile symbols of hate. There is no place for them — ever,” Ranking Member Carbajal said. “The Coast Guard must declare with one voice that they have zero tolerance for hate symbols within its ranks. I urge Coast Guard leadership to immediately denounce and reverse this policy change to ensure these symbols remain banned, without any exceptions.”
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