Psaki condemns directive from Abbott labeling sex changes for minors as child abuse

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White House press secretary Jen Psaki condemned a letter Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott sent to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) Tuesday directing it to investigate reported instances of Texas children being subjected to gender-transitioning procedures that he characterized as abuse.

"Because the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services is responsible for protecting children from abuse, I hereby direct your agency to conduct a prompt and thorough investigation of any reported instances of these abusive procedures in the State of Texas," Abbott's letter states. "To protect Texas children from abuse, DFPS and all other state agencies must follow the law as explained in OAG Opinion No. KP-0401."

As Abbott's letter explains, it is already against the law to subject children in Texas to a wide variety of elective gender transition surgeries, including those that can cause sterilization, mastectomies or the removal of otherwise healthy body parts. Administration of puberty-blocking drugs and unnatural doses of testosterone or estrogen is also illegal in the state.

Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott attends a press conference where he signed Senate Bills 2 and 3 at the state Capitol on June 8, 2021, in Austin, Texas. (Montinique Monroe/Getty Images)

Psaki alleged that Abbott's directive and similar action in Florida and other states are "designed to target and attack the kids who need support the most."

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"LGBTQI+ students are already vulnerable to bullying and violence just for being themselves," Psaki said. "This isn't an isolated action, as evidenced by multiple states pursuing this. We're seeing Republican leaders take actions to regulate what students can or cannot read, what they can or cannot learn and, most troubling, who they can or cannot be."

White House deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre smiles as she arrives for a press briefing at the White House Nov. 4, 2021.  (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Psaki was echoing a statement provided by White House deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre to The Dallas Morning News.

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"Conservative officials in Texas and other states across the country should stop inserting themselves into health care decisions that create needless tension between pediatricians and their patients," said Jean-Pierre. "No parent should face the agony of a politician standing in the way of accessing life-saving care for their child."