Guest joins colleagues in concern for VA to offer gender transition surgery

Members Send Letter of Disapproval Over VA’s Decision to Offer Gender Transition Surgery

Congressman Michael Guest (MS-03) joined 41 Republican colleagues in a letter to Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis R. McDonough to convey their concerns over a recent decision by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to cover gender transition surgeries instead of addressing current unmet medical needs of American veterans, including those suffering from toxic exposure.

The letter was led by House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs (HVAC) Subcommittee on Health Ranking Member Jack Bergman and HVAC Ranking Member Mike Bost.

The letter opens, “We write to express our grave concern about your intent to allow the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to offer gender transition surgery to our nation’s veterans. We urge you in the strongest possible terms to reverse your decision.”

The letter highlights the Members’ concerns of toxic exposure left unaddressed, “We question why addressing toxic exposure – which may be a matter of life and death for millions of military families for generations to come – is a lower priority than gender transition in [Secretary McDonough’s] estimation.”

Read the full letter here.

Press Release

7/16/2021