California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus Responds to Passage of Federal Bill Eliminating Health Care for Transgender Americans

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus Responds to Passage of Federal Bill Eliminating Health Care for Transgender Americans

SACRAMENTO, CA — The California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus released the following statement in response to the House of Representatives’ passage of reconciliation bill that eliminates health care for transgender Americans:

“While their constituents across the country slept, House Republicans once again bowed to President Trump’s extreme agenda, proving they are not serious about addressing the real challenges families face, such as affordability and access to essential services like health care and food. Instead of offering solutions, the GOP chose to push through a reckless budget bill that would gut health care and food assistance for millions of Americans and deliberately target transgender people in the process.

In a last-minute maneuver, the GOP inserted heinous language into the budget bill that would ban the use of federal funds from Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for medically necessary care for transgender individuals, regardless of age. The bill also strips coverage for transgender-related health care from the list of essential benefits under the Affordable Care Act, effectively inviting states and insurers to deny life-saving treatment to transgender people. This move is not just morally indefensible, it is an outright violation of existing rights and a dangerous step toward dismantling access to vital care for some of the most vulnerable members of our communities. 

Let us be clear – this is not about ‘protecting children’ as Republicans falsely claim. Nor is it about reducing costs. This is about enacting the Trump GOP’s radical Project 2025 agenda that is intent on erasing transgender people from public life and coercing them into modern-day conversion therapy through denial of health care.

We unequivocally oppose this hateful and dangerous measure. We call on the Senate to reject this bill and reaffirm their support for our most vulnerable community members.”

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About the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus

California’s Legislative LGBTQ Caucus was formed in 2002 to create a forum for California Legislators to discuss issues that affect LGBTQ Californians and to further the goal of equality and justice for all Californians. California became the first state in the United States to officially form a caucus of openly-LGBTQ state legislators and continues to be a leader of progress for all Americans. In 2023, our membership hit a new milestone of 12 members, becoming one of the largest LGBTQ Caucus in the Nation, and continues to remain strong. Despite tremendous progress and an unprecedented swell of support for the LGBTQ community worldwide, there is still much work to do to protect and uplift the most vulnerable in our community. The LGBTQ Caucus strives to advocate for diversity and inclusion of all people, including differently abled bodies. Our Caucus is working diligently to support LGBTQ leaders that represent our community at the local, state, and federal levels.

For more information on the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus, please visit https://lgbtqcaucus.legislature.ca.gov/ 

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