Senators Debate Trans Care Bans; Expert Testifies To 'Anguish' Of Families, Doctors

Physician and Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), the outgoing chairman of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions committee, stood fast that the federal government should not fund gender transition procedures on minors. "Let's fulfill our duty to let kids be kids," he said. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) pushed back, saying, "Not only would banning gender-affirmative care do nothing to protect kids, it will make it harder for them to get the healthcare they need, and that would be a tragedy."

MedPage Today: Senators Clash Over Youth Gender Care Bans

As the Trump administration continues to target gender-affirming care for youth, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) committee debated the issue in a hearing on Wednesday. Committee members heard testimony against and in support of such care, with some calling for a federal ban, and others questioning why they were even there when there are more pressing healthcare issues facing Americans and decisions about medical care are better left to families and physicians. (Henderson, 6/3)

Bay Area News Group: Bay Area Families Sue To Block DOJ From Getting Transgender Children’s Stanford Medical Records

Parents of transgender children who received care at Stanford’s children’s hospital are asking a federal judge to stop the hospital from turning over their children’s identities and medical records to the Trump administration as part of a criminal investigation. A lawsuit filed against Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford seeks to block the hospital from complying with a U.S. Department of Justice criminal subpoena seeking the information. (Baron, 6/3)

The Washington Post: Rep. Ogles Deletes Homophobic Tweet, Blames Staff Amid Rare GOP Pushback

Rep. Andrew Ogles (R-Tennessee) is blaming his staff for a homophobic post made on his X account, as Republicans issue rare criticism of one of their member’s social media activity. A post on Ogles’s official X account Tuesday stated: “Homosexuality has no place in America. Happy Nuclear Family Month.” The post was seemingly in response to the start of Pride Month, which celebrates the LGBTQ community. (Wang, 6/3)

The Hill: Queen Of Versailles Fights Opioid Crisis In D.C. With National Naloxone Awareness Day

The so-called Queen of Versailles is trading her kingdom for Capitol Hill, heading to Congress to mark a day she championed dedicated to bringing attention to naloxone, commonly known as the brand name Narcan, which can reverse opioid overdoses. “Ten years ago, no one knew what Narcan was,” Jackie Siegel told ITK in an interview. Now Siegel ... is coming to Washington for the fourth annual National Naloxone Awareness Day. (Kurtz, 6/3)

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