Rep. Rich McCormick Promotes The PROTECTS Act After Supreme Court Upholds Tennessee Ban

Rep. Rich McCormick (R) weighed in on the U.S. Supreme Court's upholding Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors. McCormick responded by promoting his bill to withhold federal funds from any kind of gender-affirming care. 

The Supreme Court ruled that the Tennessee law banning puberty blockers and hormone therapy for minors doesn’t violate the Equal Protection Clause. Lawmakers are split along party lines on this ruling. 

For example, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D) called the ruling ‘cruel’ and it was an attempt to divert attention away from healthcare cuts. By this, he is referring to the big, beautiful bill. 

Schumer stated, “Republicans’ cruel crusade against trans kids is all an attempt to divert attention from ripping healthcare away from millions of Americans. We'll keep fighting and we'll keep marching on.”

Rep. Mike Collins (R) responded to this by labeling gender-affirming care as ‘mutiliation.’ He stated, “The practice of mutilating impressionable children is over. Find a new 80/20 issue to be on the wrong side of.”

Rep. McCormick supports the ruling and wants to codify it with his legislation, House Resolution (HR) 742. The bill is known as the PROTECTS Act, which stands for ‘Protecting Resources Of Taxpayers to Eliminate Childhood Transgender Surgeries.’ 

HR 742 prohibits providing or using federal funds to perform or reimburse any entity for certain gender transition procedures for an individual under the age of 18. The bill’s prohibition applies to gender transition procedures that intentionally change an individual’s body. The procedures include surgeries, medications, and implants. 

McCormick commented on X, “My bill, The PROTECTS Act of 2025, prohibits federal funds from being used to provide gender transition procedures to minors. As a physician and father, I will never stop fighting to protect all children by ensuring dangerous medical procedures are not funded by American taxpayers.”

The bill was introduced in January, 2025 and then referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. It has been there ever since, stuck in the process of getting to the floor.