U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, has launched an investigation into former Assistant Secretary for Health Levine and other officials from the Biden administration. The inquiry focuses on alleged coordination with the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) to advance gender transition procedures for minors.
Cassidy's investigation is part of a broader review over the past two years of WPATH and other medical organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Endocrine Society. He has raised concerns about these groups supporting gender transition treatments for children without what he considers reliable scientific backing. According to Cassidy, some organizations have not complied with previous executive orders intended to prevent irreversible harm to minors through such procedures.
“Gender transition procedures and surgeries in children and adolescents are highly consequential,” wrote Dr. Cassidy. “They are irreversible, with damaging, long-lasting side-effects to a child or adolescent’s immediate physical, mental, and emotional development and to their future well-being as an adult.”
He continued: “Accordingly, it is crucial that Congress and the Executive Branch, including HHS, partner together to uncover any collusion or wrongdoing, including the suppression of evidence-based medicine by previous administrations, which can cause irrevocable harm to our country’s children.”
Recently, Cassidy appeared alongside HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at an event where a new policy was announced barring federal funds from being used for gender transition procedures in children. He also introduced legislation aimed at prohibiting taxpayer funding for these treatments under Medicaid, Medicare, CHIP, and ACA programs.
In his letter to Secretary Kennedy of HHS, Cassidy outlined requests for documents and communications involving former Admiral Levine and staff members—including chief of staff Sarah Boateng—related to interactions with WPATH, AAP, the Endocrine Society, White House personnel (including President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris), academic institutions like Johns Hopkins University, as well as various professional organizations between January 2021 and January 2025.
The letter references reports suggesting that political influence led WPATH to remove age limits from its Standards of Care regarding surgical interventions for adolescents. Citing coverage from The New York Times about email exchanges between WPATH members and government officials expressing concern that setting age minimums could lead to legislative setbacks for transgender care access.
The HELP Committee plays a significant role in legislating public health matters in the United States according to its official website. As chair during the 119th Congress as noted by committee records, Cassidy leads oversight efforts that include influencing federal regulations affecting health policy nationwide and providing oversight of relevant agencies.
Cassidy's letter requests all relevant unredacted communications be provided by March 5, 2026.
For more information about updates from HELP Republicans visit their website or Twitter account @GOPHELP.
