As the Trump administration continues to target gender-affirming care for youth, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) committee debated the issue in a hearing on Wednesday.
Committee members heard testimony against and in support of such care, with some calling for a federal ban, and others questioning why they were even there when there are more pressing healthcare issues facing Americans and decisions about medical care are better left to families and physicians.
"As senators, it is our job to stand up for what is right and against what is wrong, to support science, and to speak out against quackery, and to align public policy with the best interests of children and families," Sen. Bill Cassidy, MD, (R-La.), outgoing chair of the HELP committee, said. "This includes not funding providers or organizations taking generous federal dollars and then promoting or performing gender transition services on minors. Let's put politics aside, and first do no harm. Let's fulfill our duty to let kids be kids."
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) immediately pushed back, calling Wednesday's hearing "disappointing."
"It is disappointing in the sense as to why millions of Americans are giving up on the political process," Sanders said. "They look to Washington at a time when they are facing unprecedented crises, and they're saying who is responding to our needs. And today we are ... spending hours on a hearing that impacts an infinitesimal number of people."
