The Senate confirmed Dr. Rachel Levine by a vote of 52 to 48 to be deputy secretary of health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Her confirmation makes her the first transgender person openly approved by the Senate, as well as the highest-ranking transgender federal official.
Levine was previously Pennsylvania’s health secretary, where she led the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and worked on programs that fought the opioid crisis, HIV and hepatitis C and addressed LGBTQ health equity. She was also a former president of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officers (ASTHO), a nonprofit organization representing the public health agencies of the 50 states, U.S. territories, DCs and the three freely associated states.
As Deputy Secretary of Health, Xavier Becerra will serve as Secretary of Health, who was confirmed by the Senate last week and will likely play a key role in the management of the coronavirus by the federal government. She joins a cabinet that includes many other “firsts”, including Becerra, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, Secretary of Transport Pete Buttigieg, Head of EPA Michael Regan and US commercial envoy Katherine Tai.
Washington Sen. Patty Murray tweeted after the vote.@SecretaryLevine he has been at the forefront of this pandemic, so he knows first hand what our states and communities need @HHSGov to meet the challenges they face and finish it. I am glad that his historic nomination has been confirmed today so that he can start working. “
Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins joined all Democrats in approving Levine, who was nominated by President Biden in January. In a Jan. 19 statement, he said, “Dr. Rachel Levine will provide the constant leadership and essential experience we need to get people to suffer from this pandemic, regardless of their zip code, race, religion, sexual orientation, identity. and meet the public health needs of our country at this critical time and beyond. She is a historic and deeply qualified choice to help lead our administration ‘s health efforts. “
In his own statement after his nomination, Levine said, “I look forward to the opportunity to continue serving Pennsylvanians and all Americans, as part of the Biden administration, if I am fortunate enough to be confirmed in this position “.
Following his confirmation, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials congratulated Levine on Twitter:
Levine graduated from Harvard College and Tulane University School of Medicine and completed her training in pediatrics and adolescent medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City.