Hawley urges House to extend ban on funding for transgender care

Click the + Icon To See Additional Sharing Options Shares U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley , a Republican from Missouri, has urged House leadership to extend a federal prohibition on funding for transgender medical treatments for minors and abortion providers as part of the upcoming budget process. In a letter sent to House Speaker Mike Johnson , Hawley called on the House to act after his proposed amendment to extend the funding restriction was narrowly rejected in the Senate earlier in the week. He argued that the responsibility now shifts to the House to address the issue through the budget reconciliation process. Hawley wrote that the Senate’s decision not to adopt his amendment would allow federal funds to be used for transgender-related medical care for minors if no action is taken. He warned that, without intervention, federal dollars could be directed to organizations such as Planned Parenthood for services that include hormone treatments, puberty blockers, and other procedures. He described the potential use of taxpayer funds for these purposes as unacceptable and urged immediate action. The senator emphasized that the current federal restriction is set to expire on July 4. He stated that, once the prohibition lapses, federal funding could be redirected through programs such as Medicaid to cover certain medical treatments and abortion services. Hawley also cited estimates from the Government Accountability Office indicating that Planned Parenthood received more than $1.5 billion in combined Medicaid and Medicare funding between 2019 and 2021. In closing, Hawley urged House lawmakers to include a funding ban in the forthcoming budget resolution tied to reconciliation legislation. He said prompt action is necessary to address what he characterized as a significant policy concern. Read the full letter here Post Views: Share this: Tweet Share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) Share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon Share on Nextdoor (Opens in new window) Nextdoor Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Print (Opens in new window) Share on Tumblr Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Related Click the + Icon To See Additional Sharing Options Shares Shares Sharing Email this article Print this article