1. United States
2. Mich.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to oppose two anti-transgender bills scheduled for a vote on December 17: Rep. Dan Crenshaw's Do No Harm in Medicaid Act and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's Protect Children's Innocence Act. Both bills would deny transgender youth access to medically necessary healthcare, and I need you to vote no on both measures. Crenshaw's bill would ban Medicaid from covering gender-affirming care for transgender youth, including puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and surgical care for anyone under 18. Notably, the bill explicitly allows cisgender people to receive the same medications for other medical purposes, making clear that this is discriminatory legislation targeting transgender youth specifically. Greene's bill goes even further, enacting a nationwide felony ban on gender-affirming care and explicitly defining such care as mutilation. These bills represent government overreach into the private medical decisions of families. As Representative Sarah McBride of Delaware stated, government has no place inserting itself between patients, providers, and parents to prevent necessary healthcare. Families working with qualified medical professionals should make these decisions, not politicians. Gender-affirming care is supported by every major medical association in the United States, including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Endocrine Society. This care follows established medical protocols and has been shown to reduce rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation among transgender youth. Denying access to this care puts vulnerable young people at risk. Rather than attacking transgender youth, Congress should focus on addressing healthcare costs, housing affordability, and energy prices that affect all constituents. I urge you to vote no on both the Do No Harm in Medicaid Act and the Protect Children's Innocence Act on December 17. Families deserve the freedom to make medical decisions without political interference.