Press Releases

Today, Representatives Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Mark Takano (CA-39), and Sara Jacobs (CA-51) sent a letter to Department of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth demanding answers on reports that the Department inappropriately accessed private medical records to target transgender service members for separation, potentially violating the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

On January 27, 2025, the Trump administration issued an Executive Order banning transgender people from military service. In September 2026, the Federal News Network reported that service members believed the Department inappropriately accessed, searched, and used private medical records, including clinical therapy notes, to identify and target transgender service members for separation. The letter seeks clarification and transparency on the use of these records, which appear to violate HIPAA.

The letter also asks what the Department is doing to ensure any HIPAA-compliant disclosure of service members’ health information is limited and warns that weaponizing medical information may cause service members to avoid treatment or withhold information from their providers, harming their health and undermining military readiness.

“Service members deserve to be able to trust that their private medical information is protected and will not be used against them,” said DelBene. “This report is deeply concerning and sets a dangerous precedent that will not only compromise military preparedness but also threaten the health of our service members. The Department must provide answers on this potential misuse of sensitive information and violation of medical privacy laws.” 

“Amidst an illegal, multi-billion dollar war, the Department of Defense has wasted vital staff power and limited resources scouring through troops’ medical records so that Secretary Hegseth can weaponize that information to identify and kick out transgender servicemembers. That should alarm every American,” said Takano, Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus. “The transgender military ban and the Pentagon’s actions implementing it are a stain on our military. I’m thankful to Rep. DelBene and CEC Vice Chair Jacobs’ work to conduct this important oversight on Hegseth’s extremist witch hunt and demand better for our servicemembers.”

The letter is supported by the Human Rights Campaign, SPARTA Pride, and the National Institute of Military Justice. 

The letter was also signed by Representatives Pete Aguilar (CA-33), Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Becca Balint (VT-AL), Wesley Bell (MO-01), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), André Carson (IN-07), Troy Carter (LA-02), Sean Casten (IL-06), Judy Chu (CA-28), Gilbert Cisneros (CA-31), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Herbert Conaway Jr. (NJ-03), Angie Craig (MN-02), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Sharice Davids (KS-03), Danny Davis (IL-07), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Diana DeGette (CO-01), Christopher Deluzio (PA-17), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Lois Frankel (FL-22), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Al Green (TX-09), Adelita Grijalva (AZ-07), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), Timothy Kennedy (NY-26), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Rick Larsen (WA-02), Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Stephen Lynch (MA-08), Sarah McBride (DE-AL), James McGovern (MA-02), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Emily Randall (WA-06), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Janice Schakowsky (IL-09), Bradley Schneider (IL-10), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Eric Sorensen (IL-17), Greg Stanton (AZ-04), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Norma Torres (CA-35), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), and Frederica Wilson (FL-24).