GOP Moves to Defund Hospitals Performing Sex-Change Procedures on Minors Amid Misuse of 340B Program and Trump's Executive Order

Recent developments indicate that the 340B program, designed to assist low-income patients, is being criticized for allegedly funding gender-affirming care and transition surgeries for minors. Critics, including some GOP lawmakers, argue that this misuse undermines former President Donald Trump's executive order that prohibits federal funding for hospitals providing such treatments to individuals under 19. A preliminary injunction has been placed on Trump's order, yet the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) issued guidance last week that may continue to support these practices. In response, GOP senators are proposing legislation to permanently ban funding for sex-change procedures on minors and to defund hospitals that perform these surgeries, emphasizing a need for a more robust legal framework to uphold Trump's policies on this issue.