The United States Department of Justice sent to Congress a legislative proposal that protects and defends children from chemical and surgical mutilation under the guise of “gender-affirming care,” in line with Executive Order 14187, issued in January of this year.

The order acts to prevent gender-affirming care for Americans under the age of 19 by withholding federal funding and ordering agencies to take a variety of steps to prevent surgeries, hormone therapy, the use of puberty blockers, and other gender-affirming treatments. Gender-affirming care is a set of medical services, which can include hormone therapy and surgeries on sexual organs. Therefore, the Victims of Chemical or Surgical Mutilation Act, led by Representative Bob Onder and Senator Marsha Blackburn, prohibits health care professionals, doctors, hospitals, or clinics from participating in the chemical or surgical mutilation of a child and creates a private right of action for children and the parents of children whose healthy body parts have been damaged by medical professionals who perform mutilation. “The Department of Justice has heard from countless families devastated by mutilating medical procedures that contradict basic biology,” stated Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “While We are continuing our legal battle to protect children, and we are grateful to our colleagues in Congress who are working diligently alongside us to end these abusive practices once and for all,” she continued.

In response, several organizations have already spoken out against what they call Trump’s attack on transgender rights, calling it a gross overreach of presidential power and yet another attempt to punish transgender people simply for existing.