Rep. Nehls Introduces Bill to Protect the Mental and Physical Well-Being of Children
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Troy E. Nehls (R-TX-22) introduced the Stop Child Abuse Act, a bill that would rescind President Biden's recent Executive Order that promotes harmful and potentially sterilizing gender transition interventions on minors, and thus protects America's children from the devastating and irreversible consequences of those interventions. The bill also protects states—like Texas—from being reprimanded by the Executive Branch for passing legislation that rightfully limits children's access to permanent sterilization and puberty blockers.
On June 15, President Biden signed an Executive Order asking the U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services to promote access to "gender-affirming care" interventions, including for children. This dangerous practice of so-called "care" includes puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and irreversible surgeries. Earlier this year, the Texas State Attorney General determined that such sterilizing and permanent interventions can constitute child abuse when performed on minor children. More than a dozen states have passed or are considering bills to protect children in their communities from accessing these harmful medical interventions. President Biden's Executive Order targets those states seeking to protect women, children, and parental rights.
The Executive Order also directs agencies to advance policies for "LGBTQ+ inclusive learning environments" at schools, which could include forcing schools to allow biological males to compete on girls' sports teams, curtail free speech regarding pronouns, and compromise the privacy and safety of school bathrooms, locker rooms, and room accommodations for school-sponsored overnight trips. This is another way for the Left to push their harmful ideology in the Equality Act.
"Parents should be the ones raising their kids—not the federal government," said Congressman Nehls. "Not only is Joe Biden's Executive Order the latest of many attempts by the Left to indoctrinate our children, but it also has the potential to permanently damage their mental and physical well-being. As both a father and a husband to an elementary school principal, I am disgusted that the Biden administration is using their power to side-step parents and pollute the minds of the next generation. Republicans seem to be the only ones left in Washington who actually care about the American family. We will do everything in our power to push back against the Left's child abuse campaign."
The Family Research Council has endorsed the bill. Co-sponsors include Reps. Jefferson Van Drew (R-NJ), David Rouzer (R-NC), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Glenn Grothman (R-WI), Brian Babin (R-TX), Buddy Carter (R-GA), Jeff Duncan (R-SC), Paul Gosar (R-AZ), and Madison Cawthorn (R-NC), and William Timmons (R-SC).