On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Dr. Rachel Levine as the Assistant Secretary for Health & Human Services, in a 52-48 vote. Levine is the first out transgender person confirmed by the Senate.
Deep issues abound surrounding Levine. During the confirmation hearing, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) exposed concerns that Levine would override parental concerns about their minor children undergoing sex changes over gender dysphoria. When asked about such support for hormone blockers and genital mutilation for children, Levine gave a non-answer which in part mentioned that "Transgendered medicine is a very complex and nuanced field with robust research and standards of care that have been developed."
"For perhaps the first time ever, the position of Assistant Secretary for Health will be filled by someone who has openly and vocally advocated for allowing children to undergo sex change procedures. This is indeed an unprecedented moment," warned in part a statement Terry Schilling, president of American Principles Project (APP).
Additionally, there are also concerns over how Levine handled the pandemic in Pennsylvania. While State Rep. Brian Sims, the candidate who is running for lieutenant governor and is known for harassing and doxing minor teens praying outside a Planned Parenthood, praised Levine's work, the truth could not be more different.
Dr. Levine is a world-class public health expert who’s leadership and determination throughout the Covid-19 crisis saved countless lives and informed millions, but also drew some of the nastiest rhetoric from elected officials. pic.twitter.com/2Xnb7A4SSg
— Brian Sims (@BrianSimsPA) March 24, 2021
As Cortney reported previously:
But like so many figures in the public eye during this pandemic, Levine was essentially called out as a privileged hypocrite for apparently circumventing her own state's guidelines. In March, she and her sister moved their 95-year-old mother out of a personal care home after a few positive COVID cases had been reported in the facility. The move also came after Levine had ordered COVID patients to be moved into nursing homes.
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At the time, several lawmakers called for Levine's resignation, with York County Republican state Rep. Seth Grove noting that Levine was taking advantage of a privilege that many Pennsylvanians can't afford.
Levine is hardly the only problematic person to serve in HHS. Secretary Xavier Becerra was confirmed last Thursday, in a 50-49 vote. As I have written about before, Becerra is known for his partisanship, especially when it comes to his targeting of pro-life individuals and organizations.