Blackburn introduces bill banning transgender procedures for minors
Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn has introduced new federal legislation aimed at stopping medical interventions that alter children’s biological development. The measure, called the Chloe Cole Act, would bar puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgical procedures for minors and open the door for legal action against providers. Supporters describe it as a way to restore medical commonsense and parental rights when it comes to youth health decisions.
The bill takes its name from Chloe Cole, a detransitioner who has been outspoken about her experience after undergoing a double mastectomy at 15. Lawmakers backing the proposal argue that Cole’s story is not unique and that other young people have faced life-altering consequences after being placed on hormonal regimens or steered toward surgery. That personal testimony is central to the effort to make these treatments off limits for minors nationwide.
Blackburn framed the legislation in stark terms when she issued her statement. “No child should be pushed into irreversible chemical and surgical mutilation under the guise of so-called ‘gender-affirming care,’” Blackburn told the news outlet. Her words reflect a sharp Republican line that such interventions are experimental for youth and carry permanent risks.
The Chloe Cole Act would also create civil liability so families can sue medical professionals, hospitals, and clinics that participated in providing these interventions to minors. Proponents say this legal mechanism offers accountability where regulatory or professional oversight has failed. Opponents warn it could chill legitimate care and spark a wave of litigation, but supporters argue that protecting children outweighs that concern.
Several Senate Republicans signed on as cosponsors, showing conservative momentum behind the proposal. Senators Eric Schmitt, Tim Sheehy, and Rick Scott are among those lending their names, signaling a broader push in Republican ranks to make youth protections a national issue. That lineup frames the bill as part of a coordinated policy approach rather than a lone initiative.
On the House side, Missouri Rep. Bob Onder filed a companion measure to mirror the Senate effort. “As a member of Congress, a doctor, a parent, and an American, I am committed to protecting our nation’s children,” Onder said. “That’s why I am proud to introduce the Chloe Cole Act, a landmark bill that will put a permanent stop to one of the most dangerous and barbaric medical procedure in modern history.”
Top state and federal officials sympathetic to the bill have emphasized a legal strategy alongside the legislative push. Earlier this month Attorney General Pam Bondi weighed in, connecting ongoing DOJ litigation to the new bill’s aims. “The Department of Justice has heard from far too many families who have been devastated by mutilative medical procedures that fly in the face of basic biology.
“While we continue our ongoing legal battle to protect children, we appreciate Senator Marsha Blackburn and Congressman Bob Onder who are working diligently alongside us to end these abusive procedures once and for all.” Bondi’s comments tie the legislation to existing cases and to a conservative legal argument that such procedures violate established standards of care.
The debate over banning these treatments collapses into two competing claims about risk and rights. Supporters say children cannot fully consent to lifelong medical changes, and that parents and physicians should not normalize interventions that remove healthy body parts or permanently alter hormones. Critics insist that transgender youth face high rates of suicide and that access to gender-affirming care, under medical guidance, can be lifesaving.
Republican backers rebut the suicide argument by saying long-term evidence for the benefits of these interventions in minors is weak and that the risks are tangible and irreversible. They also argue that policy should prioritize biological realities and the precautionary principle when making decisions about developing bodies. This creates a political wedge where protecting children’s future autonomy becomes the rallying cry.
If the Chloe Cole Act gains traction, its passage would trigger immediate courtroom battles and regulatory upheaval in states with permissive medical guidelines for minors. Hospitals and practitioners could face lawsuits and new liability exposure, prompting many to revise protocols out of caution. The clash would likely land quickly in appellate courts and possibly the Supreme Court, where federalism and medical authority would be tested.
Beyond courts, the bill is a clear signal for voters on where Republican leaders stand on family and health issues going into upcoming election cycles. It gives conservative activists concrete policy wins to demand and offers legislators a visible position to campaign on. Whether Congress ultimately adopts the measure, the discussion will reshape how Americans talk about children, medicine, and parental responsibility.
The Chloe Cole Act puts a stake in the ground for a Republican argument that the federal government should step in to protect minors from interventions deemed experimental or harmful. Supporters see it as restoring a protective boundary around childhood at a time when medical and cultural pressure on youth has intensified. Opponents will continue to press alternative evidence and warn of harm from restricting care, ensuring this fight will be loud and consequential at every level of government.
1 Comment
You’ve gotta love Marsha Blackburn, what she says about the Communist Democrat Dr’s who’s performing those ungodly acts on children should be arrested and prosecuted then laid out on an autopsy table with the same operation to them.
If they don’t make it through and die, well their already on the autopsy table.!
All Communist Democrats should be experimented on as they’ve done to children and the suffering they placed upon Americans.