The Final Anti-Trans Provision Has Been Removed From The ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’

More good news!

Moments ago, the provision targeting gender-affirming care’s Medicaid coverage was removed from the most recent version of the ‘Big, Beautiful Bill.’ This comes on the heels of the bill’s other anti-trans provision, the one targeting insurance coverage for trans healthcare, also being removed just shy of two weeks ago. Together, their removal constitutes the final nail in the coffin to Republican hopes of passing any sort of anti-trans legislation at the federal level this year.

Although the Senate Parliamentarian had advised Republicans that their ‘Trans Hyde Amendment’ would be subject to a 60-vote threshold if left in the GOP spending bill, they opted to leave it in before finally removing it. I imagined they wanted to force a vote on it, but it ended up not being necessary. And with most Americans not understanding the medical necessity of gender-affirming care, they may have wanted Democrats to take a hard position on defending trans care.

However, most polls have shown a steady decline in the general electorate’s interest in transphobic action, so it’s unclear if this hypothetical vote would’ve ended up becoming a Republican line of attack come the 2026 midterms. But for now, one thing is certain: Medicaid coverage of gender-affirming care—which 21% of American trans people rely on—is safe for the time being. On top of this significant victory for the trans community, provisions targeting medicaid coverage for immigrants, AI regulation, and more have also been removed.

Now, attention is on the Senate’s moderate Republicans. With Rand Paul (R-KY) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) already on record voting against the bill’s advancement, Republicans can only afford one more defection. Even if it does pass, many vulnerable House Republicans have expressed disapproval at the Senate version’s sweeping Medicaid cuts. Expect to see more drama unfold in the next few days.