Second court knocks down Donald Trump’s “cruel” gender-affirming care ban

[Jessica_Rose]

Second court knocks down Donald Trump's "cruel" gender-affirming care ban

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/second-court-knocks-down-donald-trump-s-cruel-gender-affirming-care-ban/ar-AA1zmCpL?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=e4a18f4d88fb45589a3199bfced39f82&ei=113

Story by Daniel Villarreal (19 Feb 2025)

Federal Judge Lauren King has granted a temporary injunction against a provision in Donald Trump's executive order banning gender-affirming care that would deny federal funds to medical institutions that provide such care. King's injunction — the second against Trump's ban — will remain in place while legal challenges against the ban proceed in court.

On Friday, King, appointed by former President Joe Biden, agreed with a lawsuit filed by three Democratic attorneys general from Washington, Minnesota, and Oregon. The attorneys argued that Trump's order overstepped his authority as president, incorrectly tried to regulate a medical matter decided by states, and violated the constitutionally protected equal rights of transgender people and medical professionals.

Trump's order seeks to cut off federal funds to hospitals and universities that offer or teach about gender-affirming care. But King said Trump cannot independently decide how to spend federal funds that Congress has already appropriated.

"The United States Constitution exclusively grants the power of the purse to Congress, not the President, and the 'President does not have unilateral authority to refuse to spend the funds' Congress appropriates," King wrote, according to Advocate.

The attorneys general called Trump's order a "cruel and baseless broadside against transgender youth, their families, and the doctors and medical institutions that provide them this critical care," their lawsuit stated.