‘Sounds like gender-affirming care’: Lawmakers react to Pentagon’s testosterone treatments for troops

WASHINGTON (CN) — Members of Congress on Thursday lambasted a new Pentagon program offering testosterone replacement therapy to U.S. soldiers, as some Democrats compared the initiative to the gender-affirming medical care vehemently opposed by the Trump administration.

But Republican lawmakers, including some former service members, praised the new testosterone screening as a necessary and medically sound intervention that would shore up military readiness.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Wednesday that the Pentagon would begin screening U.S. troops age 30 and older for testosterone levels as part of their annual health assessments. Service members with decreased levels of the male sex hormone will now have access to “testosterone replacement therapy,” Hegseth said.

“This initiative is not about artificial enhancement — it’s about restoring and optimizing your natural capabilities, protecting your longevity and ensuring you have the biological foundation required to sustain the fight,” the defense secretary told U.S. soldiers in an address posted to social media.

On Capitol Hill, reactions to the new program were mixed.

“I just don’t know what to say about that,” Maryland Representative Jamie Raskin, a top House Democrat, told Courthouse News. “It sounds like gender-affirming care, which is something [Hegseth] is opposed to.”

The Trump administration has long opposed medical interventions for transgender people, particularly minors, including hormone therapy. President Donald Trump last year signed an executive order cracking down on what the White House called “chemical and surgical mutilation” for minors, such as the use of puberty blockers and sex hormones including testosterone and estrogen.

Georgia Representative Hank Johnson concurred with Raskin that the Pentagon’s testosterone therapy initiative appeared to resemble gender-affirming care for transgender people.

“He wants to discriminate against them for receiving the same medication that he’s now implying that, if you fail the test, you need to take … all so that you can be this macho warfighter,” he told Courthouse News. “It’s really quite ridiculous.”

But congressional Republicans didn’t think Hegseth’s program was quite so far-fetched.

“As we get older … our testosterone levels naturally decline,” said Wisconsin Representative Derrick Van Orden, a former Navy SEAL. “Being able to supplement military members’ testosterone and get it back to a normal level for when you’re in your operating prime — about 32 or so — it’s a good thing.”

Van Orden argued testosterone therapy would also help service members manage their long-term health. He told Courthouse News he was “proud” of Hegseth for the initiative.

“They’re really looking at the entire life cycle of the service member for the first time,” said the Wisconsin Republican, referring to both Hegseth and Veterans’ Affairs Secretary Doug Collins. “I think it’s critical to our national security.”

Tennessee Representative Tim Burchett reasoned that military members need to have “a certain level of aggression.”

“They’re going to be called on to do some pretty horrible things,” the Republican told Courthouse News. “If the doctors say it’s needed, then it’s needed. I think there’s some pride being reinstated into our military.”

According to the Mayo Clinic, there’s little evidence supporting the use of testosterone therapy in otherwise healthy men. Using such a treatment to address normal aging carries the risk of prostate growth and blood clotting. Men can boost their testosterone levels naturally via weight loss and exercise.

Hegseth, meanwhile, argued on Wednesday the new program delivered on the Pentagon’s obligation to deliver service members the “best medical care in the world,” and framed it as a critical initiative for a well-prepared military.

“The modern battlefield is brutal and unrelenting,” he said. “It requires and demands maximum psychological and mental readiness, and by addressing these health markers early, we’re keeping you on the leading edge of lethality and giving you the same level of support that you give this nation.”

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