U.S. House Passes Bill 216-211 to Criminalize Gender Transition Treatments for Minors; Federal Employees File Complaint Over Coverage Cuts

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation that would criminalize gender transition treatments for minors, including surgery and hormone supply, with providers facing up to ten years in federal prison. The bill passed 216-211, nearly entirely along party lines. Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia pushed the measure through the House after demanding that Speaker Mike Johnson bring her bill to the floor in exchange for her support on a defense policy measure she had otherwise threatened to oppose.

According to Greene, the legislation fulfilled one of President Donald Trump’s major campaign pledges, and Congress must take action to formalize his executive order banning gender-affirming medical procedures. “Most Americans agree that kids just need to grow up before they do anything radical, like a mastectomy on a 15-year-old girl,” she said on the House floor, pointing at a poster board of a child who had undergone such a surgery. The bill is unlikely to be taken up by the Senate, where it would require a bipartisan alliance to move forward. However, the ultraconservative Republican majority and President Trump’s priorities were reflected in its discussion and passage in the House.

The Trump administration has implemented additional measures to limit healthcare access for transgender Americans, especially minors. In December, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services proposed measures to prohibit gender-transition care for minors, including a policy that would deny Medicare and Medicaid funding to hospitals offering such services to children. High-ranking Trump officials, including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., characterize gender-affirming care for minors as “malpractice.” However, such restrictions contradict the recommendations of prominent medical organizations, including the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Separately, the Trump administration is facing a new legal grievance from a cohort of government employees impacted by a forthcoming policy, effective Thursday, that abolishes coverage for gender-related healthcare in federal health insurance programs. The complaint, submitted on Thursday by the Human Rights Campaign on behalf of the employees, addresses an August declaration from the Office of Personnel Management indicating the cessation of coverage for “chemical and surgical modification of an individual’s sex traits through medical interventions” in health insurance plans for federal employees and U.S. Postal Service workers.

The complaint contends that the refusal to provide coverage for gender-transition care constitutes sex-based discrimination and requests that the personnel office revoke the policy. “This policy is not about cost or care—it is about driving transgender people and people with transgender spouses, children, and dependents out of the federal workforce,” Human Rights Campaign Foundation President Kelley Robinson said in a statement announcing the move. The grievance submitted to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission comprises statements from four current federal employees at the State Department, Health and Human Services, and the Postal Service who the removal of coverage would directly impact.

The complaint states that a Postal Service employee has a daughter for whom doctors have advised puberty blockers and possibly hormone replacement therapy due to her diagnosed gender dysphoria. These treatments would not be covered under the new OPM policy. The complaint indicates that the workers are asserting the claim on behalf of themselves and a “class of similarly situated federal employees.”

The developments reflect ongoing partisan divisions over healthcare policy for minors, federal employee benefits, and the role of government in regulating medical procedures. Supporters of the House bill argue that it protects children from irreversible decisions, while opponents describe it as an extreme restriction on medical care and parental rights. The OPM policy change has prompted legal challenges claiming discrimination, with the Human Rights Campaign arguing it targets transgender individuals and their families in the federal workforce.

Greene has recently gained odd new respect from several top Democrats for disagreeing with the president on a number of important issues. She abruptly announced last month that she was leaving Congress one year before the end of her term. The House bill’s passage and the related federal employee complaint highlight the intersection of legislative action, executive policy, and legal challenges in the ongoing national debate over gender-related healthcare. Both parties continue to position themselves on these issues as the midterm elections approach, with implications for voter turnout and campaign messaging in competitive districts.

Legal analysts note that the House bill, if enacted, would represent one of the most significant federal restrictions on gender-affirming care for minors. The OPM policy change, meanwhile, could affect thousands of federal employees and their dependents, potentially leading to further litigation and administrative review. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is expected to review the complaint, with possible outcomes including mediation, investigation, or formal legal proceedings.

The broader context includes executive actions and legislative efforts aimed at limiting access to certain medical interventions for minors, as well as debates over insurance coverage in federal programs. Medical organizations have issued statements opposing such restrictions, while supporters cite concerns about long-term effects and the need for caution in pediatric care. The situation remains fluid as legal challenges proceed and Congress considers related measures.