Issue link: https://nnumagazine.uberflip.com/i/1544067
NATIONAL N ational nurses United (NNU)in December condemned further moves by Washington pol- icymakers to attack patients receiving gender-affirming care and the health care workers who provide it. Nurses across the country reject new Trump Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) plans seeking to ban the provision of gender-affirming care and to intimidate health care workers who care for trans patients. "Secretary Robert Kennedy's leadership is once again leading us only further into junk science," said Mary Turner, RN and NNU president. "Nurses reject any political efforts to restrict any kind of evidence-based care we provide to our patients. This is more D.C. grandstanding that will ultimately hurt real people who are simply seeking medical care. Nurses know health care is a human right, and trans rights are human rights." NNU applauds efforts already announced to chal- lenge the new measures. Nurses are increasingly concerned about the well- being of our most vulnerable patients. A new bill that recently passed the House of Representatives due to bipartisan support seeks to criminalize gen- der-affirming care for providers like nurses. NNU nurses have demanded that hospital employers reject similar draconian measures as they have become increasingly common in recent years. —Staff report Nurses condemn escalating attacks on trans patients and their health care providers NATIONAL I n mid january, nurses celebrated the reinstatement of hundreds of National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) staff, who conduct essential programs and research to protect occupational health and safety for workers. It is a testament to registered nurses' power- ful advocacy as the most trusted profession in America and dedicated pushback by the public. Since the Trump administration made these dangerous cuts in April 2025, nurses have led the campaign to hold the federal government accountable for keeping hospi- tals safe for patients and workers. With petitions, countless calls into Congress, and sign-on letters that brought together hun- dreds of public health advocates, as well as a congressional briefing and congressional letters led by Rep. Greg Landsman, our union made an undeniable case that rein- stating NIOSH staff was an urgent matter. For more than 50 years, NIOSH has been an essential resource for workers across the United States to help ensure their health and safety at a variety of essential work- places. Among many other vital services, NIOSH inspects and certifies respirators like N95s and other personal protective equipment that save the lives of countless nurses and health care workers in hospitals every day. This essential equipment is critical during this year's deadly influenza season. This victory belongs to the advocacy of union nurses, our partners, and our patients, but our elected leaders must finish cleaning up the mess they cre- ated. It is essential for the administration and Congress to take all steps to ensure that NIOSH can con- tinue its mission to protect U.S. workers, including fully funding NIOSH through the appropriations process, fully and perma- nently reinstating all NIOSH staff, and ensuring that appropriated funds are spent by NIOSH to fulfill its mission established by Congress. —Staff report NNU celebrates reinstatement of NIOSH staff Nurses' advocacy a major factor in win J A N U A R Y | F E B R U A R Y | M A R C H 2 0 2 6 W W W . N A T I O N A L N U R S E S U N I T E D . O R G N A T I O N A L N U R S E 9