In a heated exchange during a House Committee on Energy and Commerce hearing, Congressman Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) pressed a witness to cite medical studies demonstrating the benefits of transgender surgeries for minors. Crenshaw's questioning centered on his proposed legislation to withhold funding from hospitals performing such procedures, along with puberty blockers and cross-sex hormone treatments, on young people.
The witness, Yale School of Medicine assistant professor Meredithe McNamara, argued against what she perceived as "cherry-picked data," emphasizing the importance of considering the totality of medical evidence. Crenshaw agreed with the importance of comprehensive reviews but pointed to systematic reviews from reputable sources like the British Journal of Medicine and the Journal of the Endocrine Society, which concluded that the effects of these interventions on minors remain highly uncertain. He also highlighted the American Academy of Pediatrics' acknowledgement of the lack of conclusive evidence.
Crenshaw underscored the ethical implications of performing irreversible physiological alterations on minors without robust evidence of benefit. He challenged McNamara to provide a single study supporting the efficacy of these treatments, particularly given the permanence of the changes. McNamara referred to "standards of care," but Crenshaw pressed her to cite specific studies rather than relying on general guidelines. McNamara was unable to offer a concrete study before Crenshaw's allotted time expired.
The hearing concerned the Children’s Hospital GME Support Reauthorization Act, a bill requiring renewal every five years. This act provides funding for pediatric resident training at 59 hospitals across the country, historically supporting nearly half of the nation’s general pediatric residents. Crenshaw's proposed amendment to the bill would prevent funding from going to hospitals that provide "gender affirming care" to minors. He has strongly condemned these practices, calling them a growing human rights atrocity and denouncing the participation of children’s hospitals in what he terms "harmful pseudoscience."
