Patty Murray accuses Rand Paul of ‘harmful misrepresentations’ with questions on child gender surgeries

Sen. Rand Paul asked whether minors should be allowed to permanently change their genders Thursday, and Senate Health, Education Labor and Pensions Committee Chair Patty Murray, D-Washington, accused him of making “ideological and harmful misrepresentations.”

"According to the [World Health Organization], genital mutilation is recognized internationally as a violation of human rights," Paul said. "Genital mutilation is considered particularly egregious, because as the WHO knows, it is nearly always carried out on minors and is a violation of the rights of children. Most genital mutilation is not typically performed by force, but as WHO notes, by social convention." Paul asked Dr. Rachel Levine, who is on track to become the first openly transgender nominee to be confirmed by the Senate, whether she believed minors should be allowed to decide for themselves to undergo permanent life-altering surgeries or hormone therapies.