Attorney General Josh Kaul, along with a coalition of 15 attorneys general, has expressed their commitment to safeguarding access to gender-affirming care. This comes in response to an Executive Order issued by the Trump Administration. The coalition released a statement emphasizing their stance on healthcare policies.
"As state attorneys general, we stand firmly in support of healthcare policies that respect the dignity and rights of all people," the statement reads. "Health care decisions should be made by patients, families, and doctors, not by a politician trying to use his power to restrict your freedoms."
The coalition criticized the Trump Administration's order, describing it as flawed both scientifically and legally. They asserted that there is no link between female genital mutilation and gender-affirming care and noted that no federal law prohibits such care. "President Trump can’t change that by Executive Order," they stated.
Recently, attorneys general achieved a significant victory when a federal court ordered the resumption of funding previously frozen by the Trump Administration. The Department of Justice has informed federal agencies that they cannot obstruct funding based on recent executive orders or memos from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This ensures continued federal funding for institutions providing gender-affirming care.
The statement further mentioned that state attorneys general will enforce state laws ensuring access to gender-affirming care where applicable and will oppose any unlawful attempts by the Trump Administration to limit this access within their jurisdictions.
Joining Attorney General Kaul in this initiative are attorneys general from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, Rhode Island, and Vermont.