Senate Democrats repeatedly downplayed concerns about gender-transition procedures for minors during a contentious Senate hearing Wednesday, arguing that the number of children affected is too small to justify significant congressional attention. Meanwhile, witnesses testified about what they described as serious and, in some cases, irreversible consequences of those treatments.
The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions convened a hearing on June 3 titled “Protecting Our Children: Exposing the Dangers of Irreversible Gender Transition Procedures on Minors.” Lawmakers heard testimony from Dr. Kurt Miceli, medical director of Do No Harm; detransitioner Chloe Cole; and Shannon Minter, legal director of the National Center for LGBTQ Rights.
Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders questioned the purpose of the hearing from the outset, arguing that lawmakers were focusing on an issue affecting only a tiny fraction of Americans.
“Today we are spending hours on a hearing that impacts an infinitesimal number of people,” Sanders said. He accused Republicans of targeting a vulnerable minority for political gain and suggested the committee’s time could be better spent on broader issues affecting more Americans.
Sanders emphasized that the number of minors receiving transgender surgeries is extremely small compared to the overall population of teenagers in the United States.
Later in the hearing, Miceli cited data indicating that approximately 14,000 minors underwent gender-transition-related medical procedures between 2019 and 2023, including more than 5,700 surgical interventions. Democrats did not challenge the figures but maintained that the numbers represent a very small percentage of young people.
Minter referenced similar statistics while defending current medical practices.
“Over a five-year period, only about 14,700 receive any medication,” Minter said. “That is an incredibly small percentage. Over a five-year period, we’re talking about fewer than one in 1,000 young people.”
Minter also argued that such treatments occur only after extensive evaluation and screening. However, Cole had testified earlier that she underwent medical transition procedures after what she described as a limited psychiatric assessment.
During the hearing, Democratic Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin compared Cole’s experience to patients who regret other medical procedures, including back surgeries that result in unexpected complications.
“I know a close family member who deeply regrets having back surgery that made the pain chronic throughout her life,” Baldwin said. “Those things happen. We have tools for dealing with it.”
Minter responded by arguing that regret rates among individuals who receive transgender-related treatments are very low.
Democratic Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine acknowledged Cole’s experience and expressed hope that her legal case would be resolved fairly. He also read a letter from a mother who praised the medical care her child received during a gender transition.
Kaine shifted part of the discussion toward concerns raised by healthcare providers, asking about threats and pressure faced by doctors involved in treating transgender
