HYDE-SMITH COSPONSORS BILL TO STOP HHS FROM IMPLEMENTING RULE TO DISCRIMINATE AGAINST FOSTER FAMILIES
HHS Pushing Rule to Exclude Faith-Based Providers, Homes that Don’t Adhere to the Radical Left’s Transgender Agenda
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) is cosponsoring legislation that would prohibit the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from implementing its proposed rule that discriminates against foster parents who do not affirm LGBT ideology.
The Protecting Religious Freedom for Foster Families Act (S.3935) targets the proposed rule from the HHS Administration for Children and Families (ACF) titled, “Safe and Appropriate Foster Care Placement Requirements for Titles IV-E and IV-B” which would require foster caregivers to adhere to the radical left’s transgender agenda or exit the foster care system. U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kan.) introduced the bill.
“Some people are called by God to serve children through the ministry of foster care, so we should be doing all we can to protect their religious freedoms and allow them to host children in loving and faithful environments,” Hyde-Smith said. “This bill seeks to protect the very providers who are dedicated in doing so.”
“All children in foster care, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, deserve safe and proper placement,” Marshall said. “This extreme proposal by the HHS instead discriminates against faith-based homes and loving foster parents in pursuit of pushing their radical gender ideology and pronoun politics on religious families. This rule would have an especially devastating impact in rural areas across the country, where there are fewer foster care providers than children in need of safe homes. This administration needs to leave the politics out of it and help as many kids that need their love, care, and support as possible.”
The legislation follows a letter signed by Hyde-Smith in January that asked HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra to withdraw the rule, which would make foster care services ineligible to provide services if they only call a child by his or her given name and biologically correct pronouns, or who do not allow a child to dress as the opposite sex.
U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) is also an original cosponsor of S.3935 and a companion bill (HR.6133) has been introduced by U.S. Representative Josh Brecheen (R-Okla.-02).
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