BY: DM
Published 2 days ago
Four days after Senate Republicans cemented passage of President Donald Trump’s sweeping One Big Beautiful Bill Act, LGBTQIA+ advocates and lawmakers scored a rare victory. This comes after the Trump administration vowed to eliminate protections for trans health care.
“[The Trump] administration and the American people’s tax dollars are not funding any institution that includes hospital systems that are funding the chemical castration and mutilation of children,” said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt via ABC 3340. “We are not going to tolerate taxpayer dollars going towards such efforts.”
The controversial anti-trans provision banning Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming care has been dropped from the final version of President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill. It’s a big win for trans rights advocates—and here’s why it matters.
Gender-affirming care is safe from Trump’s cuts—for now.
The original version of the One Big Beautiful Bill included a last-minute House amendment that would have flat-out banned federal Medicaid and CHIP funds from paying for gender-affirming care. This included hormones, puberty blockers, and surgeries — for anyone, not just kids. However, the Senate parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough, ruled that the anti-trans measure didn’t meet the budget rules required for reconciliation. As a result, it needed 60 votes instead of a simple majority. Since Republicans didn’t have the votes, the GOP quietly removed the provision from the final draft.
That move wasn’t just procedural—it’s a lifeline. Around 21% of trans adults lean on Medicaid for care, according to TransEquality. Removing the ban means access to gender-affirming care isn’t being stripped away by federal law, at least not in this “mega” bill.
While the provision vanished from this big reconciliation bill, rumors are swirling that Trump, his allies, or House Republicans might try to resurrect it in a smaller bill, targeted legislation, or future budget fights. Trump himself hasn’t publicly signaled a follow-up campaign for the provision. However, given the administration’s vocal anti-trans stance — labeling gender-affirming care as “chemical castration and mutilation of children” — it’s likely he’s not done pushing this fight.
Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” will make life less beautiful for many Americans.
Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, signed into law on July 4, is being hailed by conservatives as a bold economic reset. However, for low-income and LGBTQIA+ Americans, it looks more like a gut punch. The bill is massive, touching everything from taxes and health care to student loans and immigration. But beneath the surface, the fine print exposes a string of cuts and rollbacks that threaten to hit working-class families and queer communities the hardest.
The bill permanently extends Trump’s 2017 tax cuts. It also includes some sweeteners, like boosted deductions for tips, auto loan interest, and a child-based savings plan called “Trump Accounts.” On paper, families with kids see a modest increase in the child tax credit, from $2,000 to $2,200. However, the credit’s refundability hasn’t changed.
The real heat comes in the Medicaid cuts. The bill slashes Medicaid spending by 12% and adds strict work requirements. Adults aged 19 to 64 without kids, or parents with kids over 14, must work 80 hours a month to keep their benefits. Analysts warn that as many as 12 million people could lose coverage, according to Axios. For rural families and disabled people who rely on Medicaid, this bill could mean choosing between groceries and medical care.
Should gender-affirming care be covered under Medicaid and CHIP, or should states decide on their own?
