A prominent congressman wants to strip money from child welfare agencies that discriminate against Christian parents who are seeking to adopt children. Under a new Biden administration rule, adopting parents would be required to affirm the sexual orientation and gender identity of children before being able to adopt. 

“The Biden administration is cruelly preventing countless children in the foster care and adoption system from going to loving homes just because parents are opposed to irreversible sex change procedures on kids,” Congressman Jim Banks told Fox News Digital. “This isn’t a liberal or conservative issue. This is just plain wrong, and every sane person knows it.”

In September, the White House announced that it would be introducing a series of child welfare regulations, including one that will “Protect LGBTQI+ youth in foster care from abuse and mistreatment and ensure they have the services they need to thrive.”

“LGBTQI+ youth face profound disparities in the foster care system. Because of family rejection and abuse, LGBTQI+ children are overrepresented in foster care where they face poor outcomes, including mistreatment and discrimination because of who they are,” the White House said. “The proposed rule would require that every state’s child welfare agency ensure that LGBTQI+ children in their care are placed in foster homes where they will be protected from mistreatment related to their sexual orientation or gender identity, where their caregivers have received special training on how to meet their needs, and where they can access the services they need to thrive.”

Mr. Banks’ legislation, the SAFE Home Act, would prohibit federal funds from going to state child welfare agencies if they enact policies in line with the administration’s rule. 

A group of Republican senators are also calling on the administration to abandon the policy. In a letter dated January 11, the lawmakers said the president is discriminating against Christians and keeping needy kids out of safe homes. 

“The premise of this proposal is that any foster care provider who does not ‘affirm’ a child’s sexual orientation or gender that differs from his or her biological sex is perpetuating and committing child abuse and will be shunned for failing to support the foster child’s ‘health and wellbeing,’” they wrote. “All children in foster care, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, deserve a safe and proper placement.  However, this proposal goes beyond statutory requirements to force states to adopt extreme gender ideology in their placement decisions.”