Some anti- LGBTQ+ Republicans reacted negatively to the expenses, which must go by Friday evening to minimize a closure.
On Thursday, Congress unveiled the significant- planned spending bill to minimize a authorities shutdown. The debates over traditional “policy users” raged throughout the expenses, which includes funding for significant government agencies like Health and Human Services and Education. These coverage riders included restrictions on protection for gender- affirming treatment, DEI prohibitions, sports bans, and more. Despite some signs that Democrats might be at odds with their policies due to the sheer volume of traditional policy riders, it appears those fears did not materialize. Democrats held company in discussions, and the most powerful anti- trans and anti- LGBTQ+ users were nowhere to be found.
One proposed legislation horse for the Food and Drug Administration would have defunded any clinics that “distributes, sells, or otherwise uses drugs that destroy the emergence of puberty or physical growth for those under 18,” a measure that targets both transgender youth and those just starting their puberty. In the Department of Health and Human Services, another rider urged the government to halt any funding for” surgical procedures or hormone therapy for the purposes of gender-affirming care.” Private and subsidized insurance in the Healthcare Marketplace would have been significantly impacted by this decision. Additionally, it sought to stop President Biden from enacting his executive order, which expanded transgender rights protections. Additional riders included bans on funding for any organization that “promotes transgenderism”, Title IX protections for transgender youth, bans on legal challenges against states over anti- LGBTQ+ laws, book bans, DEI bans, and more. In total, over 40 riders were proposed and negotiated in the spending bills. The final bill contained none of these.
Ultimately, the final spending bill released contained only a single anti- LGBTQ+ rider: a ban on pride flags being raised or displayed above foreign embassies. The policy, while certainly qualifying as anti- LGBTQ+ and a regression to Trump- era policies, notably does not bar personal displays of Pride flags by embassy workers. Some embassies have historically avoided such restrictions by flying flags over their embassy by painting their buildings ‘ sides in rainbow hues or draping flags on their sides.
Following a significant push from the Equality Caucus Democrats and the Biden Administration, the riders ‘ defeat comes as a result of the riders ‘ defeat. We write to the Biden Administration to strongly urge you to reject any attempts to include anti-LGBT+ provisions in any final FY24 funding agreement as you negotiate government funding for Fiscal Year 2024 ( FY24 ).
However, Republicans also pushed hard for their inclusion. Republicans claimed that a potential shutdown was necessary in a shutdown threat issued on February 21st from the House Freedom Caucus. Rep. Dan Crenshaw once claimed that such restrictions are the “hill we will die on.” One Republican lawmaker stated in a report released by Axios that “people are predicting a shutdown even if it’s just for a few days.” Others backed their claims, citing gender-affirming care riders as one of the potential causes of such a shutdown.
Numerous Republican Party anti-LG+ leaders criticized the bill. Rep. Matt Gaetz criticized the New Jersey Garden State Equality in Education Fund, calling it “force feeding the LGBT agenda in schools” and claiming that it allows “gender mutilation surgeries in minors,” “biological men” in women’s restrooms, and transgender participation in sports. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene criticized the absence of a DEI ban. Rep. Andrew Clyde stated that Republicans” surrendered” to Democrats on hormone therapy. The GOP was urged by the House Freedom Caucus to vote “no” and shut down the government by the House Freedom Caucus, which published a lengthy list of healthcare and equality centers that the budget would fund.
In a press release published by House Appropriations Democrats, they stated that the bill rejected over a hundred poison- pill riders, many of which targeted LGBTQ+ people. For example, the Labor- HHS- Education portion of the bill blocked provisions around gender affirming care, sports bans, and nondiscrimination.
See the House Appropriations Democrats statement:
The impact of a government shutdown would likely not be felt until Monday, but the bill must be passed by Friday evening to prevent one. The bill would fund the government through September, when all of the riders would likely return to prominence during the 2024 presidential election’s climax. LGBTQ+ riders wo n’t pose a significant threat in a year where transgender and queer people have experienced attacks at historically high levels, though for the next few months.
This article was republished with Erin In The Morning’s permission.
