Frank Cannon Founding President | American Principles Project
The U.S. Senate has passed its annual defense spending bill, which includes a controversial provision prohibiting taxpayer funding for sterilizing sex-change procedures on minors through the military’s healthcare program. The legislation was approved by a vote of 85-14.
A group of Democrats, led by Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, attempted to remove this provision but their amendment did not receive a vote.
Terry Schilling, president of the American Principles Project (APP), expressed approval of the Senate's decision in a statement: “Today’s Senate vote marks a historic victory for American families and a significant defeat for the transgender industry."
Schilling emphasized that there is growing momentum to protect children, noting that "twenty-five states have acted to restrict sterilizing and mutilating sex-change procedures for minors." He also mentioned that other countries, such as Great Britain, are taking similar actions. According to Schilling, providers of these procedures face lawsuits from detransitioners who claim harm from the care they received.
He further commented on the political implications for Senate Democrats: “It is noteworthy that Senate Democrats decided to advance this bill without seriously attempting to restore the sex-change funding.” Schilling suggested that supporting such measures could be politically damaging due to public opposition.
Schilling thanked Speaker Mike Johnson for his leadership in including this measure in the legislation and urged Republicans to continue prioritizing the protection of children from what he described as dangerous practices.