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HHS Just Announced Creation of New Office...And It's a Liberal's Dream

Leah Barkoukis
Leah Barkoukis  |  August 31, 2021 9:30 PM

With all eyes focused on the final hours of the Afghanistan withdrawal on Monday, and the Pentagon's announcement that the last U.S. forces have left the country, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra had news of his own to share.

HHS is expanding, adding a new (and rather woke) office.

"I am proud to announce the Department of Health and Human Services is adding climate change to the heart of its health care mission by establishing the Office of Climate Change and Health Equity," Becerra announced on Monday. "We are following through on President Biden's commitment to tackle our nation's climate change crisis and building on the work that I started when I was at the attorney general’s office in California to advance environmental justice. This is the first office of its kind at the national level to address climate change and health equity."

Here's what the new office is responsible for doing: 

  • Identifying communities with disproportionate exposures to climate hazards and vulnerable populations.
  • Addressing health disparities exacerbated by climate impacts to enhance community health resilience.
  • Promoting and translating research on public health benefits of multi-sectoral climate actions.  
  • Assisting with regulatory efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and criteria air pollution throughout the health care sector, including participating suppliers and providers.
  • Fostering innovation in climate adaptation and resilience for disadvantaged communities and vulnerable populations.
  • Providing expertise and coordination to the White House, Secretary of Health and Human Services and federal agencies related to climate change and health equity deliverables and activities, including Executive Order implementation, and reporting on health adaptation actions under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
  • Promoting training opportunities to build the climate and health workforce and empower communities. 
  • Exploring opportunities to partner with the philanthropic and private sectors to support innovative programming to address disparities and health sector transformation. (HHS)

"History will judge us for the actions we take today to protect our world and our health from climate change. The consequences for our inaction are real and worsening. We've always known that health is at the center of climate change, and now we’re going to double-down on a necessity: fighting climate change in order to help protect public health in our communities," Becerra said in a statement.

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