House Republicans are investigating whether the Harris-Biden administration pressured an international group of medical experts to remove age-limit guidelines for transgender procedures, including surgery for minors. The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is looking into allegations of political interference by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in third-party medical organization recommendations. Rep. Lisa McClain wrote a letter to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra expressing concerns that HHS officials may have inappropriately pressured changes to international pediatric medical standards.
The investigation stems from a report in the New York Times that Adm. Rachel Levine, assistant secretary for health at HHS, urged the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) to remove age limit recommendations for transgender surgical procedures. Prior to Levine’s pressure campaign, WPATH’s guidance included age minimums for hormone treatment, mastectomies, breast augmentation, and genital surgeries. However, WPATH’s eighth edition of its standards of care, released in September 2022, had no age minimums for transgender procedures, allegedly due to concerns about limiting access to healthcare for trans youth in the US.
Internal emails between WPATH members included in an Alabama court filing show conversations discussing Levine’s concerns and requests to remove specific ages from the guidelines. A member of the health group wrote that Levine and the Biden administration were worried that having ages in the document would worsen the situation in the US. Another member recounted a conversation with Levine’s chief of staff, Sarah Boateng, in which they discussed the possibility of removing specific ages from the proposed guidelines to address concerns raised by Levine.
McClain has requested all documents and communications between Levine and her staff with WPATH and other medical groups related to transgender medical procedures as part of the investigation. She criticized the Biden administration for advocating for expanding the pool of vulnerable children subjected to life-altering procedures they may later regret. McClain argued that emails indicating this advocacy was done for political advantage, possibly to satisfy extremist elements of its base, are reprehensible. A White House spokesperson stated that the Harris-Biden administration does not support surgery for minors when asked about the WPATH emails.
The investigation into the alleged pressure by HHS officials to remove age limit guidelines for transgender procedures highlights concerns about political interference in medical recommendations and access to healthcare for trans youth. The controversy surrounding the changing of age minimums in international medical standards for transgender surgeries raises questions about the motivations behind these decisions and the potential impact on vulnerable individuals. The outcome of the investigation and the response from HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and the Biden administration will likely shape future discussions and policies regarding transgender healthcare and medical standards.
