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Posted: Aug 05, 2026 6:47 AMUpdated: Aug 05, 2026 6:47 AM
Defunding the Government Science Fair
Chase Almy
Sometimes Washington occasionally stops arguing long enough to write things down. US Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Mike Lee (R-UT) have introduced the Protecting Our Kids from Harmful Research Act. The bill seeks to put a permanent padlock on the federal wallet when it comes to funding research or publications that promote gender transitions for minors. Designed to dovetail with President Trump’s agenda of restricting federal grants in this arena, the legislation specifically targets studies affirming a minor’s gender identity if it differs from their biological sex. According to the lawmakers, it's high time Uncle Sam stopped footing the bill for practices they argue cause permanent medical and psychological harm to children.
Senator Lankford released a statement arguing that taxpayers shouldn't be forced to fund what he called "sex-rejecting studies," suggesting that perhaps the government's research budget has strayed a bit far from studying crop yields and highway concrete. Senator Lee chimed in to question why the federal bureaucracy is financially mingling with puberty blockers in the first place, pitching the bill as a way to permanently codify a ban on such funding. Backed by a familiar roster of co-sponsors including Senators Ted Cruz, Steve Daines, and Marsha Blackburn, the legislation proves that if there is one thing lawmakers love more than a strongly worded press release, it's a bill that ensures certain government grants are officially put out to pasture.
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