(The Center Square)—Republican lawmakers have introduced a new bill that would block Medicaid from paying for gender transition drugs and surgeries for minors.
U.S. Reps. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, and Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., introduced the bill, first obtained by The Center Square.
Specifically, the Do No Harm in Medicaid Act would change the Social Security Act to include gender transition procedures as a prohibited activity, including hormones, surgeries and puberty blockers.
The legislation comes as President Donald Trump takes office and declared earlier this week that it is the official policy of the U.S. government that there are two sexes: male and female.
“The American people deserve accountability in how their taxpayer dollars are spent,” Crenshaw said. “Using Medicaid funds for unproven and irreversible procedures on minors is not only medically irresponsible but also a betrayal of public trust. This bill ensures that Medicaid’s limited resources are used only for evidence-based, medically necessary care.”
Crenshaw said the bill is narrowly designed so that it can be added into the House budget reconciliation process, possibly fast tracking its passage.
“Budget reconciliation provides a unique opportunity to pass meaningful reforms with direct fiscal impacts,” Crenshaw said. “This bill fits squarely within that framework, ensuring it will survive procedural scrutiny while delivering a critical win for children and families.”
The bill includes an exception for medically necessary treatments for conditions like genetic disorders or life-threatening illnesses.
Crenshaw said the bill is the beginning of a broader effort to block taxpayer funding from being used for surgeries and drugs of this kind on children.
While the practices have become more common in recent years, critics and detransitioned adults have blasted the practices since they usually make the recipients infertile and many adults regret their decisions later on in life.
Questions have also been raised about the financial incentives of healthcare providers and pharmaceutical companies since transitioned children become customers who must keep taking certain drugs for the rest of their lives.
Crenshaw and others have backed similar legislation in recent years, including the Protect Children’s Innocence Act which prohibits gender surgeries and drugs for children wholesale or the Parents Bill of Rights Act, a bill that ensures parents give consent for these kinds of procedures.
Another bill, the Children’s Hospital GME Support Reauthorization Act, blocks hospitals from receiving federal grant funding for medical education if they participate in these kinds of procedures for children.
Now that Trump has taken office and Republicans have narrow majorities in the House and Senate, these bills may get fresh life.
“By taking this step, we’re sending a clear message: the health and safety of our children are non-negotiable,” Crenshaw said. “We will continue to lead the charge to protect America’s future – one policy at a time.”
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