{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://burchett.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-burchett-sends-letter-hhs-secretary-xavier-becerra-opposing-sex-change", "Rep. Burchett sends letter to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra opposing sex-change procedures for children", "2022-10-04", "2022", "2022-10", "Republican", "House", "TN", "Tim Burchett", "B001309", "burchett.house.gov", "burchett", "https://burchett.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (Oct. 04, 2022) \u2013 Today, U.S. Congressman Tim Burchett (TN-02) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra to object to a proposed rule which would force hospitals and doctors to provide sex-change procedures and hormone blockers to children.\n\n\u201cUnder no circumstances should a child under the age of 18 undergo gender reassignment surgery or take hormone blockers,\u201d Rep. Burchett wrote. \u201cThis type of surgery and sterilization is irreversible and the fact that the Biden Administration may make it easier for an adolescent who has not fully developed to choose to mutilate his or her body is despicable.\u201d\n\nAs written, the proposed rule would clarify that sexual orientation and gender identity are protected under the nondiscrimination clause of the Affordable Care Act, which would prevent doctors or hospitals from refusing to provide sex-change surgeries or hormone blockers to minors.\n\nYou can read the full text of Rep. Burchett\u2019s letter by clicking here or read below:\n\nDear Secretary Becerra,\n\nI write today with serious concerns about the Department of Health and Human Services\u2019 proposed rule on Nondiscrimination in Health Programs and Activities regarding \u201cgender affirming care.\u201d\n\nAs it is written, this rule would force hospitals and doctors to administer gender affirmation procedures and hormone blockers to minors. This is unconscionable. Under no circumstances should a child under the age of 18 undergo gender reassignment surgery or take hormone blockers. This type of surgery and sterilization is irreversible and the fact that the Biden Administration may make it easier for an adolescent who has not fully developed to choose to mutilate his or her body is despicable.\n\nTo put it bluntly, the Biden Administration is sacrificing children on the altar of wokeness. Many children who receive vaginectomies, mastectomies, puberty blockers, and other treatments will mature and realize they made a grave mistake. Men\u2019s bone density and growth will be permanently weakened and stunted; women will be made infertile. I could go on, but the point is that children are incapable of understanding these lifelong effects.\n\nThe first promise of the Hippocratic Oath is, \u201cdo no harm.\u201d Unfortunately, if this HHS rule advances in its current state, the Biden Administration will be forcing doctors to break their most sacred vow and irreversibly harm our nation\u2019s most vulnerable.\n\nSincerely,\n\nTim Burchett", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:20:33Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://burchett.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-burchett-sends-letter-hhs-secretary-xavier-becerra-opposing-sex-change"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.6056580934673548, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}