WASHINGTON– The House of Representatives passed legislation addressing gender-affirming care by a vote of 216-211. Representatives Eli Crane (R-AZ) and Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ) raised concerns about minors' access to gender-affirming surgical procedures under healthcare coverage
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) introduced the Protect Children's Innocence Act, the first bill introduced alongside Rep. Dan Crenshaw's (R-TX) H.R. 498, both aimed at restricting certain medical care for minors and banning Medicaid funding for such procedures.
Additionally, Greene proposed legislation that would impose up to a 10-year prison sentence for those convicted of providing gender-affirming medical care to people under the age of 18.
The legislation has attracted attention as a significant proposal regarding transgender healthcare policy.
Arizona Policy
In Arizona, coverage for gender‑affirming care varies by insurance plan. The Medicaid program usually does not cover gender‑affirming treatments, and state law bans gender‑affirming surgeries for children, but certain nonsurgical care may still be available through certain providers.
Some clinics and organizations, including Planned Parenthood, have offered gender‑affirming services, usually for adults, but their ability to provide care for minors is significantly restricted by state law and recent federal policy.
Congressman Crane has expressed concerns about the procedures during an exclusive comment, stating he is "not a fan."
"I don't think that any of that should be covered, you know, by U.S. taxpayers...it used to be called years ago, gender dysphoria. We've done a lot in changing definitions in this, you know, culture to appease people, but I think it's wrong," Crane said.
Crane focused his concerns on taxpayer funding for these procedures through health insurance programs.
Additional Context
The proposed legislation would apply to minors seeking gender-affirming care, with exceptions for certain genetic or physical disorders.
Under the bill's provisions, parents pursuing these treatments for their children could face legal consequences.
"I think it's parental abuse. I definitely don't think American taxpayers should pay for it," Crane concluded.
Alongside Crane’s concern, Congressman Hamadeh explains in an exclusive interview with Cactus Politics that “people who want to transition afterwards, that's fine, but using federal government resources for children to alter their entire life's trajectory, which, if you look at this statistics, highest amount of suicides, most amount of pressure, the amount of people who want to detransition is high.”
He says he doesn't understand the Democratic Party's policy agenda and views it as departing from conventional approaches, particularly on issues involving children.
“It's gender mutilation. I want to start calling it that,” Hamadeh concluded.
The vote will continue on Thursday regarding Crenshaw’s bill that would restrict the medical care for gender-affirming care for those under the age of 18.
