For years, Republicans have been blaming their inability to get anything done on transgender people, and out Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA) is tired of their cruel distraction tactic.This president just loves to prey upon the vulnerable, the congressman told LGBTQ Nation. It just makes me think that hes very desperate. Related Rep. Mark Pocan is hoping for a Republican with a conscience. Charlatan Nancy Mace isnt it. The federal government is currently shut down because the Senate cant pass a continuing resolution to fund federal services. Democrats want a continuing resolution that would also extend health care tax credits for the working class, which are set to expire at the end of this year, while Republicans want to pass a continuing resolution that lets those subsidies expire.And LGBTQ+ people have been thrown at the center of this fight. Republicans led by the president have repeatedly accused Democrats of demanding funding for gender-affirming care in order to vote for a continuing resolution something the president calls transgender for everybody even though the continuing resolutions dont mention gender-affirming care at all. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Because the LGBTQ+ community is getting blamed for the shutdown, LGBTQ Nation talked to Rep. Takano by phone earlier last week about the fight over the continuing resolutions and the upcoming appropriations battles. Takano is the chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, a group of lawmakers working to advance LGBTQ+ rights in Congress.Absolutely none, he responded when asked if there is any possible truth in the Democrats shut down the government to get transgender for everybody accusation. Absolutely zero, none!Sarah McBride is just a very decent, intelligent I will go beyond intelligent, shes a brilliant member of Congress, and shes just very- Its very hard to stigmatize somebody who is smart, reasonable, and generous in her spirit.Our funding bill does not include any changes to current laws as they relate to medical care for transgender people, he said. Our Democratic alternative bill does not do that.Rep. Takano said the president is just using his favorite distraction technique so people dont notice hes trying to take away health care subsidies from millions of people to partially, partially pay for permanent tax credits to the very, very wealthy in our country.Even within the shutdown, the administration is finding new ways to blame the fight on trans people. For example, SNAP benefits are set to run out tomorrow, on November 1. The administration could use emergency funds to keep benefits flowing so people dont lose access to food, but it has chosen not to. The USDAs website was modified to say that the reason the benefits are ending is that Democrats are demanding funding for gender mutilation surgery and health care for undocumented immigrants, a cruel lie considering LGBTQ+ people disproportionately rely on SNAP benefits.Takano called the USDA website modifications insidious and toxic.I dont think its going to work, he added. Republicans control the entire federal government, and this shutdown falls squarely on their shoulders. While Republicans dont seem to be all that interested in negotiating an end to this shutdown the president canceled a meeting with Democratic leaders before the shutdown and then posted memes mocking them, almost as if he was trying to ensure that no deal would be reached Takano thinks that his GOP colleagues will come to the table as their constituents face the economic reality of the shutdown.He noted that open enrollment for ACA health care plans will also start tomorrow, on November 1, and the subsidies are expiring unless Congress votes to extend them, so people will see their premiums go up by a lot. This, he said, will raise the political heat on Republicans, as polling shows that more Americans blame the GOP for the shutdown.Serious legislators dont come [to Washington] to ostracize and stigmatize other Americans.But LGBTQ+ people wont be out of harms way when the shutdown ends, because after Congress reconvenes, itll start debating appropriations bills, which are large pieces of legislation that provide funding to all the different parts of the federal government. For the last few years, Republicans have tried to attach anti-LGBTQ+ amendments to those bills, hoping that the fact that the bills need to be passed will help them get the anti-LGBTQ+ measures passed into law.And there are a lot of these amendments, some of which are substantial enough that they will affect millions of peoples lives. They range from bans on displaying Pride flags on government buildings to bans on trans health care coverage and rescinding anti-discrimination rules that protect LGBTQ+ foster kids and trans people in homeless shelters.While the situation looks dire for LGBTQ+ people, Takano pointed out that Democrats got these riders removed in past years, and theyll do it again.In the last Congress, we were able to defeat nearly every anti-LGBTQI+ provision in the Republicans partisan appropriation goals and keep them from becoming law, he said. I am optimistic that we can do the same. | Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY via IMAGN This time, though, they cant use a presidential veto threat in negotiations, but Takano is confident that Democratic leverage in the Senate where 60 votes are needed to pass most of these measures can be used to fight back, as well as congressional soft power.It really helps in the House to have 12 congressmen who identify as LGBTQI+, he said. I got members who are going to fan out across a 216-member caucus, and theyll be able to advocate for our community.Representation matters. Takano had particularly kind words for Rep. Sarah McBride (D-DE), the first out trans member of Congress, and how her presence in Congress is helping build support for equal rights.Its remarkable that this really charged time over transgender Americans that weve also had for the first time, a transgender member of Congress, he said. She is an amazing presence here. Shes a real gift, Sarah McBride is a real gift to this Congress, and a gift to the country.Sarah McBride is just a very decent, intelligent I will go beyond intelligent, shes a brilliant member of Congress, and shes just very- Its very hard to stigmatize somebody who is smart, reasonable, and generous in her spirit, he added. Ultimately, despite Republicans control of the House, the Senate, and the White House, Congressman Takano says the politics of cruelty wont win.I dont get the sense that even among Republicans, theyre really embracing the politics of cruelty, he said. Serious legislators dont come [to Washington] to ostracize and stigmatize other Americans.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.