this post was submitted on 12 Dec 2024
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Contact your rep if they're in this list. More context at: https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/first-major-congressional-fight-over

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[–] alcoholicorn@lemmy.ml 77 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

To be clear, 81 dems voted to fund the military and defund trans kids.

[–] FuzzyDog@lemmy.world 51 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

A quote I really like; "with Democrats like these, who needs Republicans". The party is a total joke right now.

[–] alcoholicorn@lemmy.ml 21 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

More apt, IMO: Republicans fear their base. Democrats hate their base.

The dems and their staff, pundits, op-ed writers, etc know that the people don't like war and that the hyper-focus on oppressing trans people, especially children, is weird and off-putting, there's tons of polling on this. But try to tell them that and they'll give you some west-wing brained horseshit about how actually it's virtuous and necessary to betray your base and triangulate yourself 1 inch to the left of the republicans.

I don't know if that's better or worse than being called a Russian bot for pointing this out.

[–] FuzzyDog@lemmy.world 11 points 2 weeks ago

I mean yeah, the Democratic elite seem to have utter contempt for the party base and just ignore polling. Gaza is the perfect example of this. In the lead up to the election, it was abundantly clear that Kamala's "policy" (read: doing nothing) towards Gaza was tremendously unpopular with the party base. And they just... Ignored it. There are plenty of people who withheld from voting on that issue alone.

[–] AlecSadler@sh.itjust.works 19 points 2 weeks ago

WHAT IS GOING ON. Ugh.

[–] Gormadt@lemmy.blahaj.zone 19 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

FFS of course Perez (my local rep) is in that list

I swear she's going to flip parties soon and it won't surprise me

Time to reach out yet again

[–] tiefling@lemmy.blahaj.zone 27 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I'm so fucking tired of Republicans running as Democrats. Recall votes need to be a thing.

[–] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

Especially given how often they just straight up lie about what they intend to do

[–] Wahots@pawb.social 2 points 2 weeks ago

She barely won by less than three percentage points vs her Republican opponent. While I dislike what she's doing, more people in your district must vote (or move in and vote). That district was a real nailbiter in November. Until then, I doubt she will be able to do anything more than moderate left, lest things go to the authoritarian party next election.

You know if the situation was flipped, repubs would've thrown a hissy fit and shutdown the government like they always do when it comes down to 'must-pass' budget bills.

[–] radicalautonomy@lemmy.world 13 points 2 weeks ago

No Oregon Dems voted for it, nice. This state is so rad...Dems won a supermajority last month of both the State House and Senate, too.

[–] Cypher@aussie.zone 11 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

To be clear, it defunds any treatment for body dysmorphia that would result in infertility for under 18s, which does not exclude the most common forms of care for under 18s.

[–] Hacksaw@lemmy.ca 13 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Yes, so you're likely right that it's just for show and it's unlikely to affect trans children in any meaningful way. But WHY do we need this? If this was never something that cost money why are we spending the time of our most expensive politicians in this? Furthermore why are politicians meddling in medicine? What do they know about trans care or any other medical care? The last president thought we should inject bleach, let's not dismiss the fact these people have no place in medicine.

They wasted a huge amount of the time they had left and millions of tax payer dollars to pass a budget restriction that will save no money and to pass legislation that converts a medical decision into a rigid law. Best of all the only thing this ACTUALLY accomplished is to make sure that trans kids and trans people feel alienated and attached.

There is no defending this egregious waste of money, idiotic meddling of politics in medicine, and this targeted decision to make trans people feel unsafe and threatened.

[–] Cypher@aussie.zone 2 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

To be clear, I am not endorsing the decision or criticising, I merely sought to state the fact of the change.

I believe it is important to be clear and factual when reporting and discussing such changes to avoid causing unnecessary panic, alarm and outrage. While the actual change is provided in an article linked from the one in the OP it isn't directly stated in this article.

The language used in the article makes this sound like a much more impactful change than I suspect it is.

“Section 708.” This clause would prohibit TRICARE from covering any medical treatments for gender dysphoria in transgender youth under 18 that “could result in sterilization.”

To address your points

But WHY do we need this?

It could be argued that those under 18, as minors and not adults, can not consent to sterilization. We know that human brains are still developing until around 26 years old, so allowing someone under 18 to make such an enormous life altering decision may be irresponsible of society. Again, I am not aiming to endorse this decision, merely trying to understand the possible logic behind it.

If this was never something that cost money why are we spending the time of our most expensive politicians in this?

Cost is hardly the only factor that should be considered when politicians are making decisions, ethical and moral factors should also apply, though I doubt many politicians are aware things such as morals exist.

idiotic meddling of politics in medicine

For better or worse healthcare for is political for everyone, even in countries with universal healthcare. Healthcare is an enormous part of the social fabric of nations, of their economy, and impacts everyone. Healthcare professionals can hardly be trusted to always act in the best interest of people (see the Tuskege experiments, lobotomies and more) and so laws must be passed and enforced.

[–] jupiter2643@lemmy.ml 8 points 2 weeks ago

The relevant GOP memo on this makes very clear the intent, as it explicitly names puberty blockers as a target. Top on page 4 in the pdf

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/internal-house-gop-memo-reveals-what-republicans-celebrating-895b-defense-bill

[–] Hacksaw@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

We're going to have to agree to disagree here. Especially your last point. To be honest it REALLY sounds like you support the law, and if you cared about factual reporting you would have also released the policy memo that shows Republicans want to use this to stop puberty blockers which are very basic trans care. So you're not doing this for "truth"

Cost in terms of TIME is the MAIN factor we should judge our politicians on. What did they spend their 2/4 years on and how much did they accomplish? This addition to the military funding bill is a complete waste. A shameful waste. I don't know who would argue cost and time isn't a measure for the quality of politicians.

I'm in a country with universal healthcare and laws play very little role in the practice of medicine. Doctors have a professional association they have to be licensed by. This association does the job of ensuring doctors act in line with public interest. I'm sure Americans have the same thing. Likely one for each state. Which brings me to your last point. It's pretty intellectually dishonest to frame doctors as mad scientist lobotomists barely restrained by a set of laws. In reality doctors independently look out for the public interest. If they did what they were legally allowed to without morals we'd all be fucked. So no, laws AREN'T what "protects us" from doctors.

I don't think what you're SAYING matches what you BELIEVE. Your use of exaggeration, incomplete information, and outlier anecdotal stories paints a clear pattern of intentional deception under a thin veneer of "intellectual superiority"

Looking through your comment history you've got a lot of backwards conservative/incel beliefs like "sex workers are predatory", "tax dollars not spent to directly benefit YOU are a waste", I could go on. The point is it's pretty clear "trans kids don't deserve healthcare" is one of them and you're just getting better at hiding these beliefs to avoid downvotes.

And I'm sure you're going to come out and say I'm exaggerating your points or misrepresenting you. I'm not. You talk like a conservative, you say we need laws like this to protect us from doctors experimenting and lobotomizing us. But you don't care that laws aren't what's doing the protecting in those situations. And when someone points out your framing of doctors and medicine vs politicians is unfair you'll say "I didn't say ALL doctors blah blah blah, you're making a straw man". Human speech includes context and implication, to argue it doesn't is intellectually dishonest. Conservatives always IMPLY things because then they can say "well I didn't SAY that". You did. Implication is speech, that's high school English.

[–] Cypher@aussie.zone -1 points 1 week ago

To be honest it REALLY sounds like you support the law

I am leaning towards not sterlising minors being a good thing because it is a life altering decision that Im not convinced a minor can make.

If you can’t be trusted to responsibly consume alcohol how can you be trusted to choose to be sterilised?

if you cared about factual reporting you would have also released the policy memo

I don’t follow US politics closely enough to be aware of the memo but I did read about the actual policy that was passed. As for banning puberty blockers, that isn’t what was passed by 81 Democrats.

I'm in a country with universal healthcare and laws play very little role in the practice of medicine.

Name the country and I will disprove your claim. Healthcare is always political, from the structure (public vs private) to what care is legal.

It's pretty intellectually dishonest to frame doctors as mad scientist lobotomists barely restrained by a set of laws

It is even more dishonest to ignore history, the people who suffered and the progress that was made largely through changes to laws. Sometimes as a result of activism or protest.

you've got a lot of backwards conservative/incel beliefs

That’s amusing, Im married with children, vote left and support Unions

"tax dollars not spent to directly benefit YOU are a waste"

Wrong. Government spending that doesn’t benefit society as a whole is wasteful. There are never enough funds to sort every problem out and the particular topic you’re referring to here was a change by a centre left government that I support.

But you don't care that laws aren't what's doing the protecting in those situations.

Go open a history book. That’s exactly what the laws are doing. You talk like someone with zero understanding of how governments work, or the history that has shaped governments and the systems they govern.

[–] transhetwarrior@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

We know that human brains are still developing until around 26 years old

this isn't true by the way.

The human brain, particularly the prefrontal cortex, does not reach "full maturity" or "full development at any particular age (e.g. 16, 18, 21, 25, 30). Changes in structure and myelination of gray matter are recorded to continue with relative consistency all throughout life including until death. Different mental abilities peak earlier or later in life.

Text taken from wikipedia's list of common misconceptions. Here's a study on how the brain changes throughout life!

[–] Cypher@aussie.zone 1 points 1 week ago

Huh, I actually read that claim in a journal, TIL

[–] uriel238@lemmy.blahaj.zone 6 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Temporary infertility or permanent infertility?

At first thought it sounds like they want more pregnant teens.

[–] Hacksaw@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

https://lemmy.ml/comment/15511694

The relevant GOP memo on this makes very clear the intent, as it explicitly names puberty blockers as a target. Top on page 4 in the pdf

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/internal-house-gop-memo-reveals-what-republicans-celebrating-895b-defense-bill

Republicans passed this SPECIFICALLY to deny even the most basic trans care while letting them argue that they're only protecting kids. The Republicans who WROTE it are better positioned to tell you what it will do than you sitting here trying to piece it together from random quotes.

[–] uriel238@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

The Republicans who WROTE it are better positioned to tell you what it will do than you sitting here trying to piece it together from random quotes.

Yes. I was being lazy. Turns our our Democratic representatives who voted for the thing were being lazy too, and obeying in advance.

It kind of confirms them as the Neville Chamberlain party.

[–] Hacksaw@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 week ago

Let's have a peaceful transfer of power to anarchy and kleptocracy! True madness!

[–] Cypher@aussie.zone 2 points 1 week ago

The actual section says ‘sterilisation’ which would be permanent

[–] SweetCitrusBuzz@beehaw.org 6 points 2 weeks ago

Almost as if they're pretty much the same.

[–] fleurc@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 1 week ago

When two right wings are voting on a left wing issue, this is the result, I guess.

Service members with trans friends and relatives r gonna b mad, and unlike Luigi they have more firearms training.

[–] dance_ninja@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Dammit I voted for Slotkin in the Senate primaries because her opponent hosted Chappelle for a political event.