By Joshua Arnold
The Washington Stand
“We don’t want to be held hostage by whatever it is that you guys are doing,” interjected a female representative. The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee was seven hours into a marathon “markup” session — an ordinarily boring affair in which committees amend bills — when an unexpected request sent it spiraling out of control. The committee was debating whether a children’s hospital funding bill should allow money to subsidize gender transition surgeries for minors, and Democrats on the committee absolutely refused to listen to a video from a leading gender transition surgeon describing the process.
“It was mentioned by my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, several times, that we don’t understand this process,” began Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.). “And so, for the sake of clarity, really, I’d like to show a video, a brief interview that was conducted [with] an expert in gender reassignment surgeries from Oregon’s health care system.”
At that moment, several Democrats interjected out of turn. “Madam chair, I object,” exclaimed Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.). “I move the committee adjourn. This has turned into a circus. I move that the committee be adjourned.” Other voices also raised a chorus of objections, while one member added, “Madam chair, we don’t want to be held hostage by whatever it is that you guys are doing.”
Playing a video during a markup hearing is unusual, but not unheard of. Notably, Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) once opened a Senate Judiciary markup hearing by playing a video that criticized the Supreme Court’s opinion in Dobbs.
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