A coalition of Democratic attorneys general has now reportedly filed a lawsuit seeking to block the Trump administration’s move to cut off federal funding for hospitals that perform transgender medical procedures on children, escalating a legal fight over the role of government in pediatric healthcare.
The lawsuit was filed Tuesday by Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield, who is challenging actions taken by the Department of Health and Human Services to bar hospitals that offer transgender procedures to minors from receiving federal funds.
According to the suit, the administration’s policy would threaten access to what the Democratic officials describe as ‘necessary’ medical care for children.
Rayfield tried to claim the administration’s actions force parents to choose between their personal healthcare decisions and their doctors’ ability to continue practicing medicine. Rayfield maintained that decisions about medical care should rest with families and healthcare providers, not with the federal government.
Several deep-blue states joined Oregon in the lawsuit, including California, New York, and Wisconsin, along with more than a dozen others. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro also signed on to the legal challenge. The lawsuit alleges that HHS violated the Administrative Procedure Act, as well as Medicare and Medicaid statutes, by moving to withdraw funding from hospitals that perform transgender procedures on minors.
In their filing, the Democratic officials asserted that transgender medical interventions for young people are “safe and effective.” The suit claimed that research and clinical data support what it refers to as “gender-affirming care” as an appropriate treatment for adolescents diagnosed with gender dysphoria. It further argued that patients who receive such treatments report high satisfaction rates and low levels of regret.
Those claims stand in direct conflict with other research indicating that treatments such as puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones carry serious and irreversible risks.
Studies have shown these interventions can result in infertility, impaired sexual function, reduced bone density, altered brain development, and other long-term physiological consequences. The procedures supported by the Democratic attorneys general also include permanent surgeries, such as genital operations and double mastectomies for girls who identify as boys.
Last week, HHS finalized rules that would prevent hospitals offering transgender procedures to minors from participating in Medicare and Medicaid. The rules also prohibit federal funding from Medicaid’s Children’s Health Insurance Program from being used for transgender procedures on individuals under the age of 19.
An HHS background document explained that the policy is intended to ensure federal dollars are not used by organizations that cause lasting harm to children. The agency noted that nearly all hospitals in the United States rely on Medicare and Medicaid funding, making compliance with the new rules unavoidable for institutions that wish to continue participating in those programs.
The lawsuit follows earlier action by President Donald Trump, who signed an executive order directing his administration to end federal support and funding for transgender medical procedures performed on children. That order laid the groundwork for the HHS rules now being challenged in court.
As the legal battle unfolds, the dispute highlights a sharp divide between the Trump administration’s push to protect children from irreversible medical interventions and Democratic officials who argue the federal government is overstepping its authority. The outcome of the case could have far-reaching implications for federal healthcare funding and the treatment of minors nationwide.
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