Republican Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene secured one last victory before her quickly approaching resignation date in January 2026.
The House voted Wednesday evening to pass Greene’s bill criminalizing child sex change procedures nationwide over the objections of four House Republicans.
Three Democratic lawmakers — Reps. Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez of Texas and Don Davis of North Carolina — crossed party lines to support Greene’s measure. All three Democratic lawmakers represent swing districts that Republicans are seeking to flip during next year’s midterm elections after GOP-led redistricting made them more friendly to the party.
The four Republicans who voted against the child sex change procedures ban are Reps. Gabe Evans of Colorado, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Mike Kennedy of Utah and Mike Lawler of New York.
Greene’s bill, the Protect Children’s Innocence Act (PCIA), would make it a class C felony to perform child sex change procedures — an offense punishable to up to 10 years in prison. Parents and those who assist minors in gaining access to sex change procedures would also be subject to punishment.
The vote marked the first time legislation banning puberty blockers, hormones and surgeries for minors seeking to alter their biological sex reached the House floor.
“Republicans showed today that they are as committed to protecting children as Democrats are to disfiguring them,” Terry Schilling, president of the American Principles Project, said in a statement. “Democrats have been captured by an ideology that is as poisonous as it is profitable.”
Greene has sought to enact a nationwide ban on child-sex changes since 2022, but a floor vote on her legislation has long been elusive.
The Georgia Republican, however, secured a vote on her bill in exchange for supporting a procedural vote to advance the annual defense policy bill on Thursday. The rule ultimately passed 215 to 211 with Greene’s support.
“I refused to vote for the rule to the NDAA to force a vote on my bill, it’s a shame that’s what it takes,” Greene wrote on X Tuesday.
Republican Texas Rep. Chip Roy sharply criticized the deal in a House Rules Committee meeting Tuesday.
“Marjorie was given this vote to buy her vote on the NDAA,” Roy said. “That’s the kind of shit that happens around this institution and I’m sick of it.”
Greene immediately fired back and accused the Texas Republican of weakening her legislation to “continue the trans agenda on kids.”
Roy argued that his amendment narrowing the scope of Greene’s bill would make the measure more likely to pass the Senate and be signed into law.
Over half of U.S. states already have bans on sex change procedures for minors, and some restrict residents from traveling over state lines to receive those services.
President Donald Trump and the majority of Republicans campaigned against gender ideology and it has become a focalpoint for his administration.
On the first day of his second term, Trump signed a flurry of executive orders targeting transgender services, including restricting federal agencies from funding institutions that provide child sex changes, and making it the policy of the U.S. to only recognize two sexes.
Some Democratic-controlled states, such as California, New York and Maryland have defied the Trump administration and still provide sex change services to minors.
Greene announced her abrupt resignation from Congress in a stunning announcement video in November. The Georgia Republican, who was once a close Trump ally, has become a vocal critic of the president and his second term agenda.
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