The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representative Passes Major Bill 216 - 211 - Now Federal Employees File Complaint...
The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation on a near party-line vote of 216 to 211 that would criminalize gender transition medical procedures for minors, including surgeries and the provision of hormones or puberty blockers. The bill imposes penalties of up to ten years in federal prison for providers who perform or supply such treatments to individuals under 18.
The measure was forcefully advanced by Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, who conditioned her support for an earlier defense policy bill on Speaker Mike Johnson bringing her legislation to the floor. Greene described the bill as fulfilling a key campaign pledge by President Donald Trump and stated that it formalizes an executive order aimed at banning gender-affirming medical interventions for minors. During floor debate, Greene displayed a poster of a child who had undergone such a procedure, arguing that “most Americans agree that kids just need to grow up before they do anything radical.”
The legislation is considered unlikely to advance in the Senate, where it would require bipartisan support to overcome procedural hurdles. Civil rights organizations have labeled the bill among the most extreme anti-transgender measures ever considered by Congress. The vote reflects the priorities of the ultraconservative Republican majority and the Trump administration’s focus on restricting gender-related healthcare for minors.
Separately, the Trump administration is confronting a formal legal complaint from federal employees affected by a new policy set to take effect Thursday. The Office of Personnel Management announced in August that federal employee and U.S. Postal Service health insurance plans will no longer cover “chemical and surgical modification of an individual’s sex traits through medical interventions.” The Human Rights Campaign filed the grievance with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Thursday, asserting that the denial of coverage constitutes sex-based discrimination.
The complaint, submitted on behalf of four current federal workers at the State Department, Department of Health and Human Services, and Postal Service, includes statements from employees directly impacted. One Postal Service employee described a daughter diagnosed with gender dysphoria whose doctors have recommended puberty blockers and possible hormone replacement therapy, treatments that would no longer be covered. The filing asserts the claim on behalf of the employees and a proposed class of similarly situated federal workers.
Human Rights Campaign Foundation President Kelley Robinson stated that the policy “is not about cost or care—it is about driving transgender people and people with transgender spouses, children, and dependents out of the federal workforce.”
The grievance comes amid broader Trump administration efforts to limit access to gender-transition care, particularly for minors. In December, the Department of Health and Human Services proposed rules that would prohibit such care for minors and deny Medicare and Medicaid funding to hospitals and providers offering these services to children. High-ranking officials, including HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., have described gender-affirming care for minors as “malpractice.” These positions stand in contrast to the recommendations of major medical organizations such as the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The developments illustrate ongoing tensions between the Trump administration’s policy objectives and advocacy groups seeking to preserve access to gender-related healthcare. While the House bill advances one element of the president’s agenda through legislative action, the OPM policy change represents an executive-branch initiative already facing legal challenge. The complaint seeks revocation of the coverage exclusion, setting the stage for potential administrative or judicial review.
Rep. Greene, who played a pivotal role in securing the House vote, announced last month that she would leave Congress one year before the end of her term. Her departure adds another layer of transition within the Republican conference as it pursues its legislative priorities.
Clarence Thomas Blasts Supreme Court For Refusing Florida Case
Florida argued the two states were undermining public safety by allowing individuals without legal immigration status — and, in some cases, insufficient English-language proficiency — to obtain commercial trucking licenses despite federal standards intended to govern interstate transportation safety.
The dispute gained national attention after a deadly 2025 crash on the Florida Turnpike involving an undocumented truck driver reportedly licensed through California or Washington.
According to the lawsuit, the driver allegedly made an illegal U-turn and was unable to properly interpret roadway signage, resulting in a collision that killed three people.
Joined by Justice Samuel Alito, Thomas argued the high court had a constitutional obligation to hear the interstate dispute because Florida had no other legal forum available to challenge another state’s policies.
The court’s majority denied Florida’s request without explanation.
The case underscores the growing national clash over immigration enforcement, state licensing authority, and whether states with looser immigration policies are creating broader public safety consequences for the rest of the country.
Thomas ripped the majority for refusing to hear the lawsuit since disputes between states can only be brought before the Supreme Court.
“If this Court does not exercise jurisdiction over a controversy between two States, then the complaining State has no judicial forum in which to seek relief,” Thomas wrote.
Thomas argued that Florida’s allegations against California and Washington raised serious public safety concerns, warning that failures to properly follow federal commercial driver licensing (CDL) laws can create dangerous conditions on American roadways.
Thomas pointed to the fatal Florida highway crash involving truck driver Harjinder Singh, who he said “could not read the road signs,” and argued Florida deserved a chance to pursue its claims.
Two blue states – California and Washington – issued Singh a CDL.
“An illegal alien who cannot read English road signs cannot drive an 80,000-pound tractor-trailer,” Thomas wrote.
“Federal law and regulations prohibit States from providing commercial driver’s licenses to applicants unless they pass a driver’s test, sufficiently understand the English language, and show appropriate immigration status,” he added.
Thomas argued that while the Supreme Court of the United States may have broad discretion when deciding whether to hear ordinary appeals, disputes between states occupy a different category because the Constitution grants the high court exclusive jurisdiction over those cases.
“We have no more right to decline the exercise of jurisdiction which is given, than to usurp that which is not given,” Thomas wrote.
He also accused the court of failing to follow the Constitution by refusing to hear disputes between states.
“This Court has adopted a discretionary approach to its exclusive original jurisdiction based on policy judgments that are in conflict with the policy choices that Congress made in the statutory text,” Thomas wrote.
Thomas argued that if Florida, California, and Washington were separate sovereign nations rather than American states, a dispute involving one government allegedly allowing unsafe drivers into another jurisdiction could trigger major diplomatic conflict.
Thomas suggested that in an international context, such disputes would likely be addressed through international courts, treaties, or direct government action.
“By entering the Union, States agree to instead have such disputes resolved by this Court,” he wrote.
The issuance of commercial driver’s licenses to non-citizens came under increased scrutiny from the Department of Transportation last summer following a series of deadly crashes involving undocumented immigrant truck drivers.
Last September, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced stricter federal requirements for non-citizens seeking commercial driver’s licenses, part of a broader push by the Trump administration to tighten transportation and immigration enforcement standards, Fox News reported.
Duffy also warned that California could risk losing federal transportation funding if the state continued allowing commercial licenses to remain active for individuals deemed ineligible under revised federal guidelines.
Kamala Harris Hints At 2028 Presidential Run
Former Vice President Kamala Harris left open the possibility Monday of another White House bid when asked whether she plans to run again. Harris, 61, announced last July that she would not seek the governorship of California, a decision that left open the possibility of a 2028 presidential campaign. Before that announcement, Harris was widely seen as weighing three options: a 2026 run for California governor, another presidential bid in 2028, or stepping away from elected office after her 2024 loss to President Donald Trump.
“Everybody here wants to know the answer. Will you run again?” podcast host and author Sharon McMahon asked the failed 2024 Democratic nominee. Harris and California Gov. Gavin Newsom currently lead a hypothetical Democratic primary field, according to the RealClearPolitics polling average. Harris receives 28.3 percent support in the average, while the term limited governor draws 20.7 percent backing.
McMahon said she was not surprised by Harris‘ answer, telling her that after reading her campaign memoir, “107 Days,” she believed Harris wanted another chance at the White House. “I closed the book and I’m like, oh, she wants to. She’s just thinking about it,” McMahon said. Harris pushed back on that interpretation. “No, the book is about a specific period in time,” she said. “There was no agenda beyond what we’ve discussed already, which is just sharing with people, you know, the reality of the experience, and hopefully allowing people to see something of themselves in it, in a way that you know that Girl Scout troop, when it comes time for them to read it, might see themselves in and know what they can do and that they could do it,” Harris said.
Kamala Harris on running in 2028: "I haven't decided. I might."pic.twitter.com/nBG8cU7525
— NewsWire (@NewsWire_US) February 24, 2026
Harris Reactivates Campaign Accounts
Harris‘s 2024 campaign accounts were reactivated this month on the social platforms X and TikTok as part of a new initiative to engage young voters in anticipation of the midterm elections. The KamalaHQ account on X posted an enigmatic video on Wednesday showcasing attempts to access the account. The user attempts to log in using the passwords “waytooonline,” “thebabysitterisweird,” and “project2025wasreal,” all of which are incorrect. The term “headquarters” is acknowledged prior to the screen turning black, at which point the word “Tomorrow” appears on the screen. Headquarters’ goal is to “mobilize pro-fairness, pro-democracy young people against far-right extremism.
The former vice president, who ran an unsuccessful bid against President Trump in 2024, will be the organization’s “chair emerita.” “I have good news,” Harris said in a YouTube short video posted late Wednesday night. “So KamalaHQ is turning into Headquarters and it’s where you can go online to get basically the latest of what’s going on, and also to meet and revisit with some of our great, courageous leaders, be they elected leaders, community leaders, civic leaders, faith leaders, young leaders.” “I’m really excited about it,” she continued.
New Progressive Content Hub Launch
The rebranded account shared the video on X with a post that read, “Welcome to Headquarters, the new Gen-Z led progressive content hub.” The banner photo features an inverted image of a bald eagle with the U.S. flag, and a light green “Headquarters” subtitled with “A News Co” written on top. Harris is seen by many as a top prospective candidate for the 2028 Democratic presidential primary election. Last year, she traveled nationwide to promote her memoir “107 Days,” which centers on her short-lived White House campaign, and encountered inquiries regarding a potential re-election bid.
