Former PA Health Department Secretary Dr. Rachael Levine was confirmed by the U.S. Senate yesterday to serve as an assistant secretary to the Department of Health and Human Services for the Biden Administration.
The vote to confirm Levine came down, 52-48, making her the first openly transgender federal official confirmed by the Senate. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called it an important milestone for the LGBTQ community, saying that it is important to have figures like Dr. Levine to “help break down barriers of ignorance and fear.”
Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey voted in favor of Levine’s appointment, calling her the “crisis-tested leader our nation needs at the Department of Health and Human Services during this difficult time for the nation.” However, Senator Pat Toomey voted against her appointment, saying that poor decisions by her and the Wolf Administration during the pandemic affected seniors in nursing homes disproportionally hard compared with other states. Toomey also criticized the pandemic lockdown orders, calling them “excessive” and “arbitrary in nature” and has led to a slower recovery in Pennsylvania.
Governor Tom Wolf congratulated Dr. Levine on her appointment, saying she served the citizens of Pennsylvania with “wisdom, courage, and dedication” and was grateful for her work during the Coronavirus pandemic.
