PolitiFact is reporting that a Texas political action committee ad targeting Democratic U.S. Senate nominee James Talarico distorts his record on gender-affirming care for children. It said the ad, from a Texas PAC connected to the Senate Leadership Fund, claims Talarico "supported using taxpayer dollars for sex change surgeries on young children." Talarico, a Texas state representative, is running against Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
PolitiFact said the ad refers to Talarico's 2023 vote against Texas SB 14, which prohibits procedures that transition a child's biological sex. It said Talarico voted for all 18 unsuccessful Democratic amendments to narrow the bill, including one to limit it to banning surgeries for minors, and requested a provision that would have ended the legislation if state health officials found high-quality, long-term studies showing certain therapies were safe and effective. Talarico was one of 56 lawmakers who voted against the bill, which passed the House 87-56, cleared the Senate 31-0 and became law Sept. 1, 2023.
PolitiFact said gender transition surgery for minors is exceedingly rare and no medical guidelines support providing it for young children, and that any medical care for transgender minors requires parental consent. It said Talarico has said he opposes gender-reassignment surgeries for minors and supports a national ban on them. PolitiFact rated the ad's claim False.
Separately, PolitiFact is reporting that President Donald Trump used his Sept. 22 speech to the United Nations General Assembly to dismiss concerns about artificial intelligence, grouping them with issues he considers hoaxes. It said Trump compared AI warnings to past claims about climate change and to the Russia investigation.
PolitiFact said worries about AI are not confined to one group or one political party. It said politicians from both parties have spoken out or acted on concerns about an existential threat posed by AI, and that some people on the political left have dismissed AI safety concerns as alarmism. PolitiFact rated Trump's statement False.