First Transgender Nominee Confirmed by Senate As Assistant Health Secretary

Rachel Levine has been confirmed to the Senate as assistant health secretary amid bipartisan support. In her previous role, she served as Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Health. She previously held roles as Physician General of Pennsylvania and Health Secretary of Pennsylvania. As the highest-ranking transgender official in the US government, her appointment has been of marked interest to many human rights groups and LGBTQ advocacy groups.

“The Senate on Wednesday voted 52 to 48 to confirm Rachel Levine as the nation’s assistant secretary for health, making her the highest-ranking openly transgender official in U.S. history. All Democrats and Independents voted to support Levine, with Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) crossing the aisle to support her, prompting cheers from advocates who called the vote a breakthrough.” Read more here.

(Source: Dan Diamond, The Washington Post, 3/24/21)