雷切尔·莱文(Rachel Levine)博士被参议院确认担任拜登的助理卫生部长，成为历史上第一位被参议院确认的公开变性者，也是最高级别的公开变性政府官员。
参议院以52票对48票确认了她。
除了民主党人，莱文还得到了温和的共和党人苏珊·科林斯和莉萨·穆尔科斯基的支持。
莱文曾担任宾夕法尼亚州的卫生部长，是该州最高级别的卫生官员，现在她成为卫生与公众服务部的第二号人物，她将直接在新任命的卫生部长泽维尔·韦塞拉手下工作。
她将加入HHS，因为该部门希望解决新冠肺炎大流行和越过南部边境的移民儿童的涌入。
卡罗琳·布雷曼/盖蒂影像公司，文件
2021年2月25日，在华盛顿特区国会山，卫生和公众服务部助理部长提名人雷切尔·莱文博士在参议院卫生、教育、劳工和养老金委员会的确认听证会上作证。
参议院卫生、教育、劳工和养老金委员会主席、参议员帕蒂·默里(Patty Murray)在投票前称赞了莱文在参议院的经历，强调了她在宾夕法尼亚州新冠肺炎回应方面的工作。
默里说:“莱文博士一直处于这场流行病的前线，这就是为什么她直接知道我们的州和社区需要卫生和人类服务部做什么。”
她还强调了莱文对跨性别群体的确认的历史性质。
默里说:“我一直说，我们政府中的人民应该反映出它所服务的人民，今天我们将朝着实现这一目标迈出新的历史性一步。”。
在执掌宾夕法尼亚州卫生部之前，莱文担任该州的总医师。她是一名受过训练的儿科医生，拥有哈佛大学和杜兰大学的学位。
在上个月的确认听证会上，莱文发誓要为改善所有人的医疗保健服务而奋斗。
在听证会上，她面临来自参议员兰德·保罗的一连串问题。，错误地描述了变性者，并将性别确认手术比作“生殖器切割”
在整个提问过程中，保罗反复询问莱文，她是否认为未成年人应该能够做出“切除乳房或生殖器”的决定。
莱文对此的回应是保证与眼科医生保罗会面，讨论跨性别医学。
“转基因医学是一个非常复杂和微妙的领域，”莱文说。“我们已经制定了健全的研究和护理标准，如果我有幸被确认为助理卫生部长，我期待着与您合作，来到您的办公室，讨论转基因药物护理标准的细节。”
卡罗琳·布雷曼/盖蒂影像公司，文件
2021年2月25日，在华盛顿特区国会山，卫生和公众服务部助理部长提名人雷切尔·莱文博士在参议院卫生、教育、劳工和养老金委员会的确认听证会上作证。
保罗的提问并不是莱文第一次因为是跨性别女性而面临挑战。
莱文去年在宾夕法尼亚州声名鹊起，当时全国各地的卫生官员在抗击冠状病毒的努力中变得更加公众可见。
去年夏天，社交媒体上对莱文的攻击变得足够恶毒，宾夕法尼亚州州长汤姆·沃尔夫在一份声明中指责了他们。
沃尔夫说:“新冠肺炎大流行通过对卫生部长雷切尔·莱文博士的无情评论和诽谤，使仇恨和变性成为焦点。雷切尔·莱文博士是我的政府和变性者中一名技能高超、受重视和有能力的成员。”。“莱文博士是一位杰出而有成就的公务员。她致力于保护宾夕法尼亚人的安全和健康，即使是那些直接对她发动仇恨攻击的人。”
莱文在7月份对变性评论做出回应，发誓继续专注于抗击这一流行病。
“我心里没有仇恨的空间，坦率地说，我没有时间去忍受不宽容，”莱文在7月的一次新闻发布会上说。“我的内心充满了帮助他人的强烈愿望，我的时间全部用于保护宾夕法尼亚州每个人的公共健康。我会一直专注于这个目标。”
Rachel Levine confirmed by Senate, becomes highest ranking openly transgender official
Dr. Rachel Levine was confirmed by the Senate to serve as Biden's assistant secretary of health, making history as the first openly transgender person to be confirmed by the Senate and the highest ranking openly transgender government official.
The Senate confirmed her by a vote of 52-48.
Along with the Democrats, Levine was backed by moderate Republicans Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska.
Levine -- who was serving as Pennsylvania's secretary of health, the highest ranking health official in the state -- now becomes the No. 2 at the Department of Health and Human Services, where she will serve directly under newly confirmed Secretary Xavier Becerra.
She'll join HHS as the department looks to address both the COVID-19 pandemic and the influx of immigrant children crossing the southern border.
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee chair, Sen. Patty Murray, praised Levine's experience on the Senate floor before the vote, highlighting her work on Pennsylvania's COVID-19 response.
"Dr. Levine has been on the front lines of this pandemic, which is why she knows firsthand what our states and communities need from the Department of Health and Human Services," Murray said.
She also highlighted the historic nature of Levine's confirmation for the transgender community.
"I've always said the people in our government should reflect the people it serves, and today we will take a new historic step toward making that a reality," Murray said.
Before taking the helm of Pennsylvania's Department of Health, Levine served as the state's physician general. She is a trained pediatrician with degrees from Harvard and Tulane University.
During her confirmation hearing last month, Levine vowed to fight for improved health care access for all.
At that hearing, she faced a line of questioning from Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., that mischaracterized transgender people and likened gender affirming surgeries to "genital mutilation."
Throughout his line of questioning, Paul repeatedly asked Levine if she believed minors should be able to make decisions to "amputate their breasts or amputate their genitalia."
Levine responded by pledging to meet with Paul, an eye doctor, to discuss transgender medicine.
"Transgender medicine is a very complex and nuanced field," Levine said. "We have robust research and standards of care that have been developed, and if I am fortunate enough to be confirmed as the assistant secretary of health, I look forward to working with you and coming to your office and discussing the particulars of the standards of care for transgender medicine."
Paul's questioning was not the first time that Levine has faced challenges because she is a transgender woman.
Levine rose to prominence in Pennsylvania last year when health officials around the country became more visible to the public in efforts to combat the coronavirus.
Attacks toward Levine on social media become vicious enough last summer that Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf rebuked them in a statement.
"The COVID-19 pandemic has brought hate and transphobia into the spotlight through relentless comments and slurs directed at Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine, who is a highly skilled, valued and capable member of my administration and Transgender," Wolf said. "Dr. Levine is a distinguished and accomplished public servant. She is committed to keeping Pennsylvanians safe and healthy, even those who direct hate-fueled attacks at her."
Levine responded to transphobic comments in July by vowing to remain focused on combatting the pandemic.
"I have no room in my heart for hatred, and frankly I do not have time for intolerance," Levine said a press conference in July. "My heart is full with a burning desire to help people, and my time is full with working toward protecting the public health of everyone in Pennsylvania. I will stay laser-focused on that goal.”
