House Republicans are investigating whether the Harris-Biden administration “inappropriately” pressured an international group of medical experts to do away with age-limit guidelines for transgender procedures – including gender-changing surgery for minors.
“The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is investigating allegations of political interference by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in third-party medical organization recommendations,” Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.), the chairwoman of the committee’s healthcare and financial services panel, informed HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra on Tuesday.
“We are concerned that HHS officials, acting in their official capacity, inappropriately applied pressure for changes to international pediatric medical standards,” the congresswoman wrote in a letter to Becerra.
McClain’s letter is in reference to a June report in the New York Times alleging that Adm. Rachel Levine, the assistant secretary for health at the Department of Health and Human Services, urged the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) to remove age limit recommendations for transgender surgical procedures over concerns that it could limit access to the operations in the US.