President Donald Trump is still promising voters that Republicans will make restrictions on transgender medical care for minors permanent law. But former Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has a problem with that campaign pitch: the House already passed her bill.
Greene called out Trump and Republican lawmakers after the president tied the issue to the midterm elections, arguing that voters shouldn’t have to hand the GOP another victory before lawmakers act on legislation that has already cleared one chamber of Congress.
Trump has since repeated the promise. During an October 12 rally in Ohio, he told supporters that Republicans would “enshrine in permanent law” restrictions on transgender medical care for minors. He repeated the pledge at the Republican National Committee’s midterm convention on October 17, urging voters to keep Republicans in control of Congress.
Greene, however, argues Republicans don’t need to wait until after the election to start moving the legislation.
What Trump Can — and Can’t — Do Without Congress
“The bill to do it already passed the House and sits collecting dust in the Senate!!!” Greene wrote on X.
She meant the Protect Children’s Innocence Act, legislation she sponsored before leaving Congress. The bill passed the House 216-211 in December 2025 and was sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee, where it remains.
The legislation would establish federal criminal penalties for providing certain gender-affirming medical procedures to minors. Greene has accused Republican senators of refusing to advance the bill despite controlling the chamber and asked why GOP leaders haven’t done more to move it forward.
However, controlling the Senate doesn’t necessarily give Republicans enough votes to pass legislation Democrats oppose. Most bills still require a 60-vote threshold to overcome a filibuster, so the Republican majority alone doesn’t guarantee Greene’s bill will reach Trump’s desk.
Trump can also impose some restrictions through executive and regulatory action, but that isn’t the same as making Greene’s proposal permanent federal law. The legislation would still have to pass the Senate before Trump could sign it.
Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Warning to Republicans Isn’t Going Away
Greene’s criticism drew mixed reactions, with some commenters agreeing that Republican leaders spend too much time campaigning on promises instead of delivering them.
“Every single promise he makes right now he can already accomplish and chooses not to for some wildly odd [expletive] reason,” one commenter wrote.
Others argued Greene was putting too much responsibility on Trump for something that requires congressional action.
“So the current congress people or senators are the problem here why are you blaming Trump for not trying?” another asked.
That disagreement hasn’t gone away. Trump’s continued campaign promise has instead put Greene’s criticism back under the spotlight.
Trump is telling voters that keeping Republicans in power will allow the party to make the restrictions permanent. Greene’s argument is that Republicans already control Congress and have a House-passed bill waiting for action.
For now, nearly 10 months after passing the House, the Protect Children’s Innocence Act remains in the Senate Judiciary Committee without a final Senate vote.
