Mark Takano: “I rise in opposition to this hateful legislation. The so-called Do No Harm in Medicaid Act prohibits Medicaid from…”

“I rise in opposition to this hateful legislation. The so-called Do No Harm in Medicaid Act prohibits Medicaid from spending funds on medically necessary care like puberty blockers and gender-affirming hormone treatment for transgender individuals under 18. This is Congress seeking to ban healthcare for the most vulnerable among us. Republicans are working to ban parents from providing their trans children on Medicaid with necessary healthcare. These types of decisions should be made between families and their physicians. Yet, here we are, letting politicians in Washington, D.C., tell parents across America that they know how to raise their trans youth. Transgender people need consistent access to essential and medically necessary care like everyone else. This care makes it possible for transgender people to live safely and authentically as themselves. I have spoken with countless families about the impact of this lifesaving care and what it has done for their children. I have also spoken with doctors that have provided this safe and effective care. The healthcare that trans youth receive is a decision that they should be able to make in consultation with their parents, therapists, and doctors, not by politicians. Medical care for transgender youth is safe and effective and is supported by every major medical association, representing more than 1.3 million U.S. doctors. The hypocrisy of this legislation is staggering.”