House Republicans are investigating whether the Harris-Biden administration “improperly” pressured a group of international medical experts to repeal age limit guidelines for sex-reassignment surgery, including for sex-change procedures performed on minors.
“The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is investigating allegations that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) engaged in political interference in the recommendations of third-party healthcare providers,” said Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.), chair of the committee's Health Care and Financial Services Committee. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra on tuesday.
“We are concerned that Department of Health and Human Services officials, in their official capacity, improperly pressured the Department to change international pediatric care standards,” the congressmen wrote in a letter to Becerra.
McClain's letter was in response to a New York Times report in June that Admiral Rachel Levin, the US Under Secretary of Health for Health at the Department of Health and Human Services, had called on the World Professional Association of Transgender Medical Care (WPATH) to remove its recommended age limit for transgender surgery, citing concerns that it could limit access to the procedures in the US.
Prior to Levin's pressure campaign – as evidenced by excerpts of emails between WPATH members Documents filed in Alabama court – International medical group guidelines recommend a minimum age of 14 for hormone treatment, 15 for mastectomy, 16 for breast implants, and 17 for genital surgery.
However, the 8th edition of the WPATH Standards of Care, released in September 2022, stated that there was no minimum age restriction for transgender surgery. The New York Times.
“We sent that document to Admiral Levin… She[s] “She loved SOC-8, but was very concerned that putting age restrictions (primarily on surgery) would impact access to health care for transgender youth, and possibly adults as well,” WPATH members wrote in one of the internal emails released by psychologist Dr. James Cantor as part of a lawsuit challenging an Alabama law that bans certain treatments and procedures related to gender transition.
“Apparently the situation in America is terrible. [Levine] “The Biden administration was concerned that including age on the documents would make things worse,” the health group member continued.
“She asked us to remove them,” the email continued, referring to Levin, who identifies as a transgender woman.
In another excerpt, a WPATH member recounts a conversation with Levin's chief of staff, Sara Boateng, in which “she wonders whether a specific age could be removed from the proposed guidelines.”
“[W]I heard your story [Levine’s] “We received comments regarding minimum age standards for health care for transgender youth and the potential adverse effects of these minimum age recommendations in the United States… therefore, we have made changes to SOC 8 in this regard,” another email that appears to have been sent to Levine from a WPATH member stated.
As part of the committee's investigation, McClain requested all documents and communications between Levin and her staff and WPATH and numerous other medical organizations regarding transgender medical procedures.
“It is reprehensible that the Biden Administration is advocating for expanding the pool of vulnerable children who may be forced to undergo life-altering procedures they may later regret,” McClain argued. “Even more outrageous are the emails indicating this advocacy was done for political gain, perhaps to satisfy extremists in the Biden base.”
When asked about the WPATH email in June, a White House spokesperson told The Post that the Harris-Biden administration “does not support surgery on minors.”
McClain has asked HHS to respond to her document request by Sept. 10.
