Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced the Protecting Our Kids from Harmful Research Act, a bill prohibiting federal funding of gender transition research on minors.  Medical interventions to transition gender are experimental, irreversible, and often fail to produce the intended effects of improving patients’ mental health.  This bill would prohibit federal funding from being used in research or publications that seek to establish or affirm gender identities that are incongruent with a minor’s biological sex.

Sen. Lee is joined by Sens. James Lankford(R-OH), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Steve Daines (R-MT), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Mike Braun (R-IN), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Marco Rubio (R-FL).

Of the bill, Sen. Lee said, “The Federal Government should never fund research that harms kids.  This bill will protect taxpayers from funding spurious research, but more importantly, it will protect kids from the permanent damage this irresponsible research can produce.”

Of the bill, Sen. Tuberville said, “Children are not capable of giving full consent to irreversible, life-altering elective surgery,” Coach Tuberville said. “Subjecting healthy, developing children to damaging and harmful procedures without a grave medical purpose is absolutely wrong, and taxpayers shouldn’t be forced to pay for these extreme and reckless practices.”

Of the bill, Sen. Rubio said, “This is common sense legislation. Taxpayer dollars should not be funding reckless experiments that cause irreversible harm to children.”

Of the bill, Sen. Hawley said, “These procedures—which are often irreversible and sterilizing to children—are absolutely sickening. Federal taxpayers should never be footing the bill for child abuse. Congress must act to protect children across this nation from these abusive treatments.”

Of the bill, Sen. Daines said, “In Montana, we let boys be boys and girls be girls. Taxpayers should never be forced to fund and promote research of harmful, irreversible procedures on children.”

Of the bill, Kristan Hawkins President of Students for Life of America and Students for Life Action said, "Students for Life Action will always stand for children, born and preborn, protecting them from the harmful abortion industry and their new moneymaker, sterilizing drugs and surgeries. The sterilization and abortion industry doesn't care what happens to children, as long as they never hold a child of their own. The Protecting Our Kids from Harmful Research Act would protect children from this growing industry that is anti-child and anti-life. Students for Life Action stands with Senator Lee and the Protecting Our Kids from Harmful Research Act."  

The following organizations have endorsed the bill: Heritage Action, American Principles Project, Students for Life

For bill text, click HERE.
For a one-pager, click HERE