- An advance in religiousliberty for Texas this week.

A federal court there has blocked

a Biden administration transgender mandate

that would have forced doctors

to perform gender surgerieson adults and children.

It is the second federal court to do so.

A Catholic hospital associationbrought the lawsuit,

arguing the mandate violatedconscience protection.

The Biden administration has 60 days

to decide whether it will appeal.

- Well, Luke Goodrich is vicepresident and senior counsel

with the Becket Fundfor Religious Liberty.

He joins us now.

Luke, welcome to "Faith Nation."

You are calling this court decision quote,

"A victory for common sense, conscience,

and sound medicine."

Why is this such an importantdecision in your view?

- This is a truly remarkable power grab

by the Biden administrationto try to order doctors

and hospitals all across the country

to face multimillion dollar penalties

or else perform gendertransition procedures,

including on young children,

even when doctors and hospitals

believe those procedures couldbe harmful to their patients.

So we filed this lawsuit

on behalf of a Catholic hospital network

and a group of over 20,000 doctors

and hospitals all across the country.

And these are healthcare professionals

that joyfully providetop notch medical care

to all patients for everything from cancer

to the common cold, there'sjust a very narrow slice

of highly controversialgender transition procedures

that these doctors say,"Hey, this is harmful.

"This could harm our patients

"and we cannot in good conscience

"or in our own medical judgmentperform these procedures."

- Luke, you know, there aresome who might look at this case

and say, you know,because they're Catholic

and they don't agree withthe transgender lifestyle

they don't want to helptransgender patients.

What do you say to that line of thinking?

- These doctors and hospitals

are caring for transgenderpatients on a daily basis,

for everything fromcancer to the common cold.

They'll provide top notch care

and they do it often freeor at very reduced rates.

The issue here is a narrow slice

of highly controversialgender transition procedures

which studies have shown canbe deeply harmful to patients,

and so these doctors are saying,

"Hey, in our religious beliefs,as a matter of conscience,

"and in our professional,experienced medical judgment

"we've taken an oath to do no harm

"and we can't do these procedures

that could be deeplyharmful to our patients."

And fortunately, the court agreed

and said this Biden administrationregulation is unlawful.

- Luke, we have just alittle under a minute left.

Do you anticipate the Bidenadministration will appeal

and if so, how would you fight that?

- The Biden administrationhas 60 days to appeal,

and unfortunately, Ithink they probably will.

This is the second court decision

that we've obtained at the Becket Fund

striking down this Bidenadministration policy

and they did appeal the first time,

so I expect they'llappeal this time as well.

But we're relying on a very important

federal civil rights law

called the ReligiousFreedom Restoration Act.

This is the same law that we used

to get a Supreme Courtvictory for Hobby Lobby

and the Little Sisters of the Poor

and we're confidentthat the courts will say

the Biden administration,particularly in a pandemic,

has no business trying todictate to doctors and hospitals

that they have to perform

these highly controversial procedures

that can be deeply harmful to patients.

- All right, Luke Goodrich

with the Becket Fundfor Religious Liberty.

Luke, we appreciate youjoining us this evening.

Thank you so much.- Thanks Luke.