During the White House press briefing on Thursday, Press Secretary Jen Psaki offered a stern lecture to legislatures that have placed restrictions on so-called transgender therapy treatments at the state level.
Psaki made her remarks as the Alabama House of Representatives passed the Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act (SB184) by a 66-28 vote.
The bill now awaits Gov. Kay Ivey's signature.
Psaki singled out Alabama lawmakers by declaring they had been "put on notice" by the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services and vowed President Joe Biden would hold them accountable.
See also: ALGOP chair Wahl blasts White House's Psaki: 'Keep your nose out of our business'
Psaki stated, “Across the country… Republican elected officials are engaging in a disturbing cynical trend of attacking vulnerable transgender kids for purely partisan political reasons. Today in Alabama, instead of focusing on critical kitchen table issues like the economy, COVID or addressing the country's mental health crisis, Republican lawmakers are currently debating legislation that, among many things, would target trans youth with tactics that threaten to put pediatricians in prison if they provide medically necessary lifesaving health care for the kids they serve.
“Just like the extreme government overreach we've seen in Texas, where politicians have sent state officials into the homes of loving parents to investigate them for abuse just to harass and intimidate the LGBTQI+ community, today's vote in Alabama will only serve to harm kids. But Alabama's lawmakers and other legislators who are contemplating these discriminatory bills have been put on notice by the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services that laws and policies preventing care that health care professionals recommend for transgender minors may violate the Constitution and federal law.”
Psaki claimed that every major medical association calls gender-affirming care for transgender children a best practice and “potentially lifesaving.” She said President Biden will not hesitate to “hold these states accountable”.
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