Sen. Marshall Votes against Radical HHS Nominee Rachel Levine

(Washington, D.C., March 24, 2021) – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. voted against the nomination of Rachel Levine to be Assistant Secretary of Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for her radical views on abortion, on gender transitioning in young kids, and track record in failing to prioritize seniors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the vote, Senator Marshall issued this statement:

“Dr. Rachel Levine does not represent American values. Her track record of politicizing public health issues, advocating for conversion therapy for pre-pubertal children, and demonstrating a lack of support for parental consent is immoral and unethical,” said Senator Marshall. “Dr. Levine is also an extremist on abortion. As a practicing obstetrician, I delivered thousands of babies. I never would have dreamed that I would come to the halls of Congress and have to fight harder to protect the lives of babies more than I did in those delivery rooms.”

Last week, Senator Marshall and Congressman Doug LaMalfa introduced two pieces of legislation to protect children and conscience rights in response to the growing push to normalize early and aggressive medical interventions ranging from puberty-blocking drugs to surgeries for children who identify as transgender. Both the Protecting Children from Experimentation Act and the End Taxpayer Funding of Gender Experimentation Act would protect children and the conscience rights of taxpayers from this radical ideology.

Background on Dr. Levine:

• Levine has openly encouraged parents to let their children choose whether to be a boy or a girl, advising adults to “try not to force them one way or the other” and instead follow the lead of children as young as five or six.
• Levine has repeatedly advocated for children to choose whether to be male or female, obtain hormone blockers, and begin transitioning into the opposite sex early in life.
• Levine recommends puberty blockers once children reach the “young adolescent” stage.
• Levine described prescribing puberty blockers and cross-sex hormone injections to children who expressed anxiety about the natural process of puberty.
• Levine explained that the current protocols for gender-dysphoric youth involve prescribing puberty blockers during the first stages of puberty, and then introducing cross-sex hormones between the ages of 14 and 16 after continued counseling. Then, around age 18, the patient may undergo surgery. However, Levine noted that there are exceptions, suggesting that certain circumstances permit performing surgical procedures even on patients under the age of 18.
• Levine said doctors could “accelerate” the process when dealing with “street kids” who come into clinics without parents. Levine went so far as to say that in such cases, doctors may skip puberty blockers all together and go straight to cross-sex hormones for adolescents aged 14-16 or perhaps even younger. Most modern medical ethicists condemn such practices.
• Levine released a statement denouncing a 2016 Pennsylvania bill that would prohibit abortions after 20 weeks (the current standard was 24 weeks), calling it punishing for women.
• Levine supported a policy that used the pandemic as an excuse not to inspect abortion clinics.
• Levine accused the religious freedom protections contained in the Affordable Care Act’s contraception mandate of being “immoral and unethical” and called out the Trump Administration for supporting such protections.

Background on Senator Marshall’s legislation:
The Protecting Children from Experimentation Act would prohibit doctors from performing experimental gender reassignment treatments on children. Puberty-blocking hormones followed by cross-sex hormones can cause irreversible damage to children’s bodies, including an increased risk of cancer and permanent sterilization. This bill provides exceptions for the treatment of patients with medically verifiable sex development disorders. Original cosponsors of this legislation include Senator Mike Braun (IN), Senator Marsha Blackburn (TN), Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (MS), Congressman Ralph Norman (SC-05), Congressman Rick Allen (GA-12), Congressman Glenn Grothman (WI-06), Congressman Jeff Duncan (SC-03), Congressman Jody Hice (GA-10), Congresswoman Mary Miller (IL-15), Congressman Greg Steube (FL-17), Congressman Trent Kelly (MS-01), Congressman Jim Jordan (OH-04), Congressman Jim Banks (IN-03), Congressman Randy Weber (TX-14), Congressman Robert Aderholt (AL-04), and Congressman Brian Babin (TX-36).

The End Taxpayer Funding of Gender Experimentation Act would protect taxpayers’ conscience by prohibiting federal funding for gender reassignment surgeries and treatments. This bill provides exceptions for the treatment of patients with medically verifiable sex development disorders. Original cosponsors of this legislation include Senator Mike Braun (IN), Senator Tom Cotton (AR), Senator Marsha Blackburn (TN), Senator Mike Lee (UT), Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (MS), Congressman Ralph Norman (SC-05), Congressman Rick Allen (GA-12), Congressman Glenn Grothman (WI-06), Congressman Jeff Duncan (SC-03), Congressman Doug Lamborn (CO-05), Congressman Jody Hice (GA-10), Congresswoman Mary Miller (IL-15), Congressman Greg Steube (FL-17), Congressman Trent Kelly (MS-01), Congressman Jim Jordan (OH-04), Congressman Jim Banks (IN-03), Congressman Randy Weber (TX-14), Congressman Robert Aderholt (AL-04), and Congressman Brian Babin (TX-36).

###