Streamlining Procurement for Effective Execution and Delivery and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026

Floor Speech

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Mr. NORMAN. Mr. Chair, my amendment prohibits provisions of gender transition procedures including surgery or medication through the Exceptional Family Member Program.

The Exceptional Family Member Program provides resources to military families with special needs. This program is designed for military spouses, children, or other dependent family members who require ongoing medical or educational services, such as individuals with asthma, autism, chronic respiratory illnesses, intellectual disabilities, and much more.

Under the Biden administration, the Air Force suggested using the Exceptional Family Member Program for families who want to help their child transition. Democrats also introduced a bill to expand this program to include transgender dependence and specifically lists gender dysphoria as a qualifying medical need to be included in the program.

My amendment ensures that we reserve this valuable program for its original intent to help families with special needs by prohibiting the use of the program for the provision or referral for gender transition procedures such as gender surgery or medication.

The Exceptional Family Member Program, otherwise known as EFMP, should be used fully to support families with special needs and chronic illnesses, not for gender transition procedures, as has been mentioned.

The program, as it was intended, specifically lists certain things for identifying families with special needs which includes the following: potentially life-threatening or chronic conditions, current or chronic mental health conditions, asthma or other respiratory- related diagnoses with chronic recurring symptoms, intellectual or developmental delays, attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, chronic conditions that require adaptive equipment which assistive technology devices, or environmental or architectural considerations.

Allowing gender transitioning procedures through the EFMP goes against the very intention the program was designed for. It provides valuable resources for families who otherwise would not have the funds to do so. Gender transitioning is not covered under any of the criteria for identifying individuals eligible for the EFMP.

Mr. Chair, I ask for adoption of this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. NORMAN. Mr. Chair, all I would add to that is we have got an obligation to the American people to keep this country safe and to support our finest military men who are willing to risk it all in defense of America.

My friend on the opposite side of the aisle mentions hip surgery. I think that is entirely different than a sex change operation. That doesn't say the person doesn't have it. With regard to the military and the funding, that is not where the money should come from.

How about telling that child who has asthma that he has no treatment? How about telling that child with a mental impairment there is no money to do it and that we have to put the money toward somebody who is not sure about what sex they are?

It is just not a priority in the military. The funding should not be set aside for that. There is a set amount of dollars that have to go toward this valuable appropriations process, and it is not to determine what somebody's sex is. This needs to be decided in other places with their own money and at other times.

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Mr. NORMAN. Mr. Chair, let me just put some numbers to this. Over the course of 5 years, the Pentagon spent $15 million--$15 million--in treating 1,892 transgender troops, including $11.5 million for psychotherapy and $3.1 million for surgeries, according to the Department of Defense.

The price tag for individual gender-affirming surgical procedures and other medical treatments can range from $8,000 to $100,000. To compare hip surgery to a sex-change operation, it is two different worlds and two different thoughts that we just have a complete difference of opinion.

I think if you take a survey of any of the troops, Mr. Chair, who are serving this country, the vast majority would say that transgender surgeries have no place in the military.

The public to be borne with that price tag is, to be honest with you, Mr. Chair, incomprehensible.

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