The House of Representatives approved sweeping legislation on Wednesday that would criminalize gender transition treatments for minors, including surgical procedures and the provision of hormone therapies, while subjecting medical providers to penalties of up to ten years in federal prison. The bill passed narrowly, by a vote of 216 to 211, in a deeply polarized session that revealed sharp ideological divides over gender, parental rights, and the role of government in personal medical decisions.
Although supporters framed the measure as a necessary step to protect children, critics warned that it represents an unprecedented federal intrusion into healthcare and family life. Civil rights organizations quickly condemned the proposal as one of the most extreme anti-transgender bills ever advanced in Congress, arguing that it targets a small, vulnerable population while disregarding established medical standards and the lived realities of transgender youth
