Catholic groups criticize HHS secretary for argument with GOP rep about transgender surgeries.
Catholic groups and conservative organizations have launched a fierce attack on Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra following accusations from a GOP lawmaker that he is withholding federal funds from hospitals that refuse to perform transgender surgeries on religious grounds.
Rep. Mary Miller, R-Illinois, confronted Becerra during a heated House hearing, insisting that he commit to not cutting off federal funding from doctors or hospitals that choose not to offer gender-affirming care due to their religious beliefs.
Becerra defended his position, stating that doctors have the right not to provide particular care if it goes against their religious convictions. However, he clarified that under the rules, doctors who have objections based on faith are not required to offer such services and therefore, do not receive federal funding.
Miller continued to press Becerra, expressing concerns about faith-based hospitals where numerous doctors work. Becerra responded that healthcare facilities that fail to abide by the law and provide the necessary services are not entitled to federal resources.
The exchange between Miller and Becerra escalated with Miller accusing the Biden administration of planning to withhold funds from religious hospitals that refuse to perform sex-change operations on young children. Becerra’s response to this accusation stirred even more controversy, with Miller denouncing the administration’s hostility towards religious institutions.
Chris Faddis, President of Solidarity HealthShare, criticized the recent HHS rule, which prohibits discrimination based on various factors, including gender identity. Faddis expressed concern that the agency is not upholding its promise to protect religious freedom and instead is mandating procedures that conflict with the beliefs of religious healthcare providers.
Other voices joined the outcry against the HHS rule, with Katy Talento, Executive Director of the Alliance of Health Care Sharing Ministries and former health adviser in the Trump administration, stating that hospitals would be coerced to perform transgender surgeries or risk losing critical federal funding for serving vulnerable populations.
Walker Wildmon, Vice President of the American Family Association, condemned the Biden administration’s push for gender transition surgeries and emphasized the importance of hospitals fighting back against such mandates. He called on Americans to reject what he described as a “wicked gender ideology.”
The controversy surrounding Xavier Becerra and the HHS rule has sparked outrage among Catholic groups and conservative organizations who view the mandate as a threat to religious freedom and moral values.
It seems that the clash between lawmakers and government officials regarding transgender healthcare policies is far from over, as the debate continues to intensify.
