{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://palmer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/palmer-leads-letter-demanding-answers-hhs-regarding-radical-gender", "Palmer Leads Letter Demanding Answers from HHS Regarding Radical Gender-Identity Ideology", "2024-11-04", "2024", "2024-11", "Republican", "House", "AL", "Gary J. Palmer", "P000609", "palmer.house.gov", "palmer", "https://palmer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, Representative Gary Palmer (AL-06) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra raising concerns about the Biden-Harris administration\u2019s decision to embed radical gender-identity ideology into 13 federal grants serving vulnerable populations. The letter demands Secretary Becerra justify this policy change and provide a prompt response to ensure HHS remains focused on its mission to ensure public safety while also respecting and protecting religious freedom and the integrity of care for vulnerable populations. Rep. Palmer issued the following statement:\n\n\u201cUnder the guise of inclusivity, this administration is forcing radical ideological changes into programs that should focus on care, not politics,\u201d said Rep. Palmer. \u201cThis new rule threatens to undermine the safety of vulnerable populations, including women escaping abuse and young children needing care, who must not be subjected to policies forcing them to share spaces with individuals of the opposite sex. Additionally, faith-based institutions and community organizations play a vital role in delivering services to those in need. The religious exemption does not clearly provide protections to ensure some groups are not forced to choose between violating their beliefs and losing critical funds.\u201d\n\nRep. Palmer continued, \u201cPushing their radical transgender policies, especially on children, will never be accepted by a broad range of faith-based and common-sense based organizations. Standing up against the Biden-Harris radical agenda will likely result in many very effective organizations being denied grants, including grants supporting medical care. These grants are meant to strengthen healthcare access, not mandate controversial procedures that many providers, and parents, oppose. Forcing healthcare providers to administer irreversible treatments under the banner of gender-affirming care undermines both medical ethics and patient safety.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis is another example of the Biden-Harris administration putting their radical agenda over the well-being of our people. Their overreach into gender identity policies threatens to turn essential services into ideological battlegrounds, placing the most vulnerable Americans at risk,\u201d concluded Rep. Palmer.\n\nThe letter is co-signed by 20 members of Congress including Reps. Robert Aderholt (AL-04), Vern Buchanan (FL-16), Ben Cline (VA-06), Michael Cloud (TX-27), Rick Crawford (AR-01), Jeff Duncan (SC-03), Bob Good (VA-05), Michael Guest (MS-03), Harriet Hageman (WY-At Large), Clay Higgins (LA-03), Mike Kelly (PA-16), Greg Lopez (CO-04), Richard McCormick (GA -06), Carol Miller (WV-01), Ralph Norman (SC-05), August Pfluger (TX-11), John Rose (TN-06), Chip Roy (TX-21), Glenn Thompson (PA-15), and Randy Weber (TX-14).\n\nRead the letter here.\n\nBACKGROUND\n\nHHS has expanded the definition of \u201csex\u201d in federal grants, based on the Bostock v. Clayton County Supreme Court decision, to include gender identity and sexual orientation. Recent regulations impact 13 key federal grant programs serving vulnerable populations and funding medical care. The letter raises concerns about the policy\u2019s reliance on Bostock v. Clayton County, which was limited to employment law, arguing its extension to HHS grants lacks legal authority and creates confusion by ignoring congressional intent. Requiring shelters to admit biological males identifying as women and forcing group homes to house children of opposite sexes in shared spaces could compromise safety and disrupt care for vulnerable populations.\n\nIn May of this year, HHS finalized a regulation applying the Biden administration\u2019s interpretation of Bostock (redefining the meaning of \u201csex\u201d) to several grants that assist vulnerable populations and health care delivery. The final rule can be found here: Federal Register :: Health and Human Services Grants Regulation\n\nLast month, HHS added this same language to their universal grant guidance, as part of a push by the Biden-Harris administration to embed their radical policies across all federal grants. This change was finalized immediately through an interim final rule without public comment, which is a process usually used for emergency regulatory actions. Link to interim final rule: Federal Register :: Health and Human Services Adoption of the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards\n\nSome of the grants impacted by the new HHS rule support medical care, such as nursing workforce development and clinical training programs. These grants could require healthcare providers to implement gender-transition procedures, including hormone therapies and surgeries on minors, even in the 26 states that prohibit these procedures for children.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:07:06Z"]], "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://palmer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/palmer-leads-letter-demanding-answers-hhs-regarding-radical-gender"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5552451368421316, "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"}