The Nomination of Rachel Levine

On January 19, 2021, President Biden Announced His Intent To Nominate Dr. Rachel Levine As Assistant Health And Human Services Secretary. Levine Was Officially Nominated On February 13, 2021, And Confirmed By The Senate 39 Days Later On March 24, 2021.

January 2021: President-Elect Joe Biden Announced His Intent To Nominate Dr. Rachel Levine As Assistant Health And Human Services Secretary

January 19, 2021: President-Elect Joe Biden Nominated Dr. Rachel Levine As Assistant Health And Human Services Secretary. “President-elect Biden has nominated Dr. Levine to serve as Assistant HHS Secretary. A deeply experienced public servant and public health expert, she is poised to become the first openly transgender federal official to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.” [The White House, via Twitter, 1/19/2021]

Levine Attended Harvard College And Received Her Medical Degree From Tulane University. “After graduating from Harvard College and Tulane University School of Medicine, ADM Levine completed her training in Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at the Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York City.” [U.S. Department Of Health And Human Services, Accessed 5/23/2022]

Levine Began Her Career As A Pediatrician And Went On To Serve As Pennsylvania’s Secretary Of Health From 2018 To 2020 As Well As Pennsylvania’s Physician General.

“After graduating from Harvard College and Tulane University School of Medicine, ADM Levine completed her training in Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at the Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York City. As a physician, she focused on the intersection between mental and physical health, treating children, adolescents, and young adults. ADM Levine was a Professor of Pediatrics and Psychiatry at the Penn State College of Medicine… In 2015, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf nominated ADM Levine to be Pennsylvania’s Physician General and she was subsequently unanimously confirmed by Pennsylvania’s state Senate. In March of 2018, ADM Levine was named Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Health. During her time in state government, ADM Levine worked to address Pennsylvania’s opioid crisis, focus attention on maternal health and improve immunization rates among children. Her decision to issue a standing order for the anti-overdose drug, Naloxone, saved thousands of lives by allowing law enforcement to carry the drug and Pennsylvanians to purchase it without a prescription from their doctor.” [U.S. Department Of Health And Human Services, Accessed 5/23/2022]

Levine Was The First Openly Transgender Person Nominated—And Later Confirmed—To A Position That Required Senate Confirmation. “President-elect Biden has nominated Dr. Levine to serve as Assistant HHS Secretary. A deeply experienced public servant and public health expert, she is poised to become the first openly transgender federal official to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.” [The White House, via Twitter, 1/19/2021]

Health Organizations And LGBTQ Advocacy Groups Lauded Biden’s Historic Nomination Of Rachel Levine, Who Became The First Openly Transgender Person Nominated To A Senate-Confirmed Position

American Public Health Association Executive Director: Dr. Levine Has “The Demonstrated Experience, Skills And Expertise Needed For Our Country To Strongly Prevail And Emerge” From The COVID-19 Pandemic. “Today, I am glad to express my support for the nomination of Dr. Rachel Levine as assistant secretary for health. She is a well-qualified and dedicated public servant with the demonstrated experience, skills and expertise needed for our country to strongly prevail and emerge from this deadly pandemic. Her current work leading Pennsylvania’s COVID-19 response as the state’s secretary of health has protected countless individuals and the critical health care infrastructure needed to respond to this crisis. I am confident she will bring the same leadership to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as she works with the rest of the president-elect’s impressive health team to protect and improve the health of the public.” [American Public Health Association, 1/19/21]

Hundreds Of LGBTQ Advocacy Groups And Health Organizations Signed A Letter Calling On The Senate To Confirm Levine, Calling Her The “Best Possible Candidate.” “LGBTQ Victory Institute and more than 350 other organizations across the United States have joined in calling for the swift confirmation of Dr. Rachel Levine to be the U.S. Assistant Secretary of Health. The public letter states she is the ‘best possible candidate’ for the position and notes she will also make history as the first out trans person ever confirmed by the U.S. Senate. The letter-writing effort was led by the National LGBT Cancer Network, Fenway Health, the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center and other leading LGBTQ health organizations.” [Victory Institute, 1/27/2021]

Human Rights Campaign President: In The Face Of Anti-LGBTQ Legislation And Politicians, Levine “Has The Empathy To Understand The Health Needs Of Our Diverse Country And The Skillset To Improve Them.” “With the reported historic nomination of Dr. Rachel Levine as Assistant Secretary of Health, President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris have continued to keep their promise to create an administration that reflects the diversity and life experiences of America. Dr. Rachel Levine, a highly experienced and qualified public health leader, has led Pennsylvania’s public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic superbly. At a time when access to health care is a growing crisis for transgender people made worse by anti-LGBTQ legislation and legislators across the nation, Dr. Levine has the empathy to understand the health needs of our diverse country and the skillset to improve them.” [Human Rights Campaign, 1/29/2021]

Conservative Media, Right-Wing Groups, And Republican Lawmakers Launched A Transphobic Smear Campaign Against Levine Immediately Following Her Nomination

In The Days After She Was Announced As The HHS Nominee, Right-Wing Media And Anti-LGBTQ Groups Maliciously Misgendered Levine And Used Her Birth Name Instead Of Her Chosen Name, Tactics Often Used By Conservatives To Harass Transgender People.

Intentionally Using A Transgender Person’s Birth Name (Sometimes Referred To As “Deadnaming”) Instead Of Their Chosen Name Is A Tactic Used To Harass, Intimidate, And Discriminate Against Gender Nonconforming Individuals. “Deadnaming occurs when an individual, intentionally or not, refers to the name that a transgender or gender-expansive individual used at a different time in their life. Avoid this practice, as it can cause trauma, stress, embarrassment, and even danger.” [PFLAG, Accessed 5/18/2022]

Intentionally Misgendering A Transgender Person Is A Tactic Used To Harass, Intimidate, And Discriminate Against Gender Nonconforming Individuals. “Misgender: To refer to someone using a word, especially a pronoun or form of address, which does not correctly reflect their gender. This may be unintentional and without ill intent or can be a maliciously employed expression of bias. Regardless of intent, misgendering has a harmful impact.” [PFLAG, Accessed 5/18/2022]

Daily Wire Founder Ben Shapiro Intentionally Misgendered Levine In A Tweet On The Day She Was Announced As The Nominee. “Levine is a biological man who believes he is a woman.” [Ben Shapiro, via Twitter, 1/19/2021]

Breitbart Intentionally Misgendered And Used Levine’s Birth Name The Day She Was Announced As The Nominee. “Levine, born Richard Levine, is an openly transgender individual and would mark the first transgender official confirmed by the United States Senate, if approved… Levine also repeatedly accused critics of transphobia, as Levine publicly identified as a female rather than his biological gender as a male.” [Breitbart, 1/19/2021]

The Week Levine Was Announced As The Nominee, Former Member Of Trump’s Legal Team Jenna Ellis Tweeted That Conservative Women Are “Hotter” Because They “Aren’t Trying To Be Men.” “A word on this debate over whether conservative women are ‘hotter.’ The answer is definitely yes, but not for the reason you think. It’s because conservative women VALUE our femininity and our immutable differences. We aren’t TRYING to be men. God made us WOMEN. Go us and go men!” [Jenna Ellis, Twitter, 1/22/2021]

Anti-LGBTQ Group Family Research Council Called Levine “A Biological Man Identifying As A Woman.” “While serving as Pennsylvania’s secretary of health, Levine, a biological man identifying as a woman, has advocated sex changes for children and adolescents and failed to competently manage Pennsylvania’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, Levine should not be entrusted with the powerful position of HHS assistant secretary.” [Family Research Council, 2/2021]

Anti-LGBTQ Group Focus On The Family’s Twitter Account Was Banned For Intentionally Misgendering Levine The Week She Was Announced As The HHS Nominee. “Focus on the Family (FOTF)’s Twitter account The Daily Citizen was banned from the social media site for their opinions and tweeting, ‘Dr Levine is a transgender woman, that is, a man who believes he is a woman.’” [MEA WorldWide, 2/1/2021]

• Dozens Of Anti-LGBTQ Groups Defended FOTF Against Its Twitter Ban And Signed A Letter To Twitter Written By Family Policy Alliance (FPA), Stating That The Groups “All Hold To The Truth That A Person’s Biological Sex Cannot Be Changed.” “In your rush to censor your users for using speech you disagree with, we write to caution that you may be censoring yourself. We, the undersigned, are both state and national organizations who represent millions of Americans who all hold to the truth that a person’s biological sex cannot be changed. And we will continue to speak this truth freely. You recently locked out Focus on the Family’s The Daily Citizen from their Twitter account for speaking this truth. We all stand beside Focus on the Family. So, if you ban them, are we next?” [Family Policy Alliance, 1/28/2021]

Pennsylvania Republican State Rep. Jeff Pyle Mocked Levine’s Appearance In A Facebook Post, Comparing Her To “Ben Franklin.” “Most notably, a Republican lawmaker from Pennsylvania, state Rep. Jeff Pyle, authored a Facebook post mocking Levine’s appearance. The post drew a swift backlash, with some people responding to his post with calls for him to resign. The Pennsylvania General Assembly’s LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus called on the House Republican Caucus and the speaker of the Pennsylvania House to reprimand Pyle for his post, which the Equality Caucus called ‘discriminatory and dangerous.’” [NBC News, 1/26/2021]

Right-Leaning Facebook Groups, Including Several Pages Run By The Daily Wire, Posted About Levine Incessantly In The Weeks Following Her Nomination.

Right-Leaning Facebook Groups, Including Several Pages Run By The Daily Wire, Posted About Levine Incessantly In The Weeks Following Her Nomination. “Two historic moments of progress for LGBTQ people occurred on Thursday, February 25: The House of Representatives passed broad LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections in the Equality Act, and Dr. Rachel Levine — the first transgender person nominated to a Senate-confirmed position — had her Senate confirmation hearing to be assistant secretary of health. In the days surrounding those events, however, Media Matters found that the vast majority of the conversation on political Facebook pages around those two topics came from right-leaning pages. Posts about the Equality Act fearmongered that it would destroy women’s sports, harm their safety and privacy, and declare ‘war on reality,’ among other harmful rhetoric. Posts attacking Levine lied that she supports ‘genital mutilation’ for kids and claimed that supporting trans youth is ‘obscene.’” [Media Matters, 3/4/2021]

Posts About Levine From Right-Leaning Pages On Facebook Earned Nearly 90% Of Interactions Across Political Pages On The Platform The Week Of Her Confirmation Hearing. “Posts about Levine from right-leaning pages earned more than 2.1 million Facebook interactions, or about 88% of total interactions across political pages.” [Media Matters, 3/4/2021]

Facebook Pages Run By The Daily Wire Accounted For Roughly One Third Of Interactions Across Political Pages About Levine. “Nine pages run by right-wing outlet Daily Wire earned a significant share of total interactions on posts about Levine and the Equality Act. The Daily Wire’s network of pages earned about 569,000 interactions on posts about the Equality Act, or about 12% of total interactions across political pages, and about 814,000 interactions on posts about Levine — roughly one-third of total interactions across political pages.” [Media Matters, 3/4/2021]

Paul’s Transphobic Lies Comparing Gender-Affirming Health Care For Trans Youth To “Genital Mutilation” Were Featured In Eight Of The Top 10 Facebook Posts About Levine During The Week Of Her Confirmation. “Every single one of the top 10 posts about Levine came from right-leaning pages, and eight of those posts featured Sen. Rand Paul’s (R-KY) anti-trans lies about ‘genital mutilation’ from Levine’s hearing.” [Media Matters, 3/4/2021]

Six Of The Top 10 Facebook Posts About Levine During The Week Of Her Confirmation Hearing Originated From Daily Wire’s Ben Shapiro, Featuring Lies About Levine Supporting “Mutilating Children.” “Additionally, six of the top 10 posts were from Daily Wire’s Ben Shapiro; in a comment alongside a video of Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh, Shapiro lied that Levine supports ‘mutilating children who think they are transgender.’” [Media Matters, 3/4/2021]

In The Weeks Leading Up To Levine’s Hearing, Conservative Media And Anti-LGBTQ Groups Spread Lies About Gender-Affirming Health Care And Claimed That Levine Had Advocated For Dangerous And “Radical” Treatments For Trans Children

Family Research Council Falsely Claimed That Levine Has “Advocated For Sex Changes For Children,” Accusing Her Of Having A “Radical LGBT Agenda.” “President Biden’s nominee for U.S. Department of Health and human services (HHS) assistant secretary, Rachel Levine, has an alarming track record of prioritizing a radical LGBT agenda and partisan politics over public health. While serving as Pennsylvania’s secretary of health, Levine, a biological man identifying as a woman, has advocated sex changes for children and adolescents and failed to competently manage Pennsylvania’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, Levine should not be entrusted with the powerful position of HHS assistant secretary.” [Family Research Council, February 2021]

American Principles Project President Terry Schilling Accused Levine Of Advocating For “Highly Experimental” Drugs For Trans Youth And Insinuated That She Would Override “The Legitimate Objections Of Doctors And Parents” If Confirmed. “There are many troubling elements to Joe Biden’s recent nomination of Dr. Rachel Levine. But perhaps most alarming is Dr. Levine’s past advocacy for children with gender dysphoria to be given highly experimental ‘puberty blockers’ and ‘cross-gender hormones’ despite growing evidence that these drugs may cause more harm than good… Does Dr. Levine still believe children should be allowed to begin the sex-change process, despite the very real issues which are increasingly being raised? And if so, would Levine push HHS to put ideology over science on this issue, and even override the legitimate objections of doctors and parents?” [American Principles Project, 2/17/2021]

Contrary To Conservatives’ Fearmongering, Major Medical Associations Agree That Gender-Affirming Medical Interventions Are Safe, Medically Necessary, And Save Lives, While Bills Aiming To Restrict Access To These Treatments Put Trans Youth In Danger.

American Medical Association: Assertions That Gender-Affirming Care For Transgender Youth Is “Extreme” Or “Experimental” Are False. “Proponents of these disturbing bills often falsely assert that transgender care for minors is extreme or experimental. In fact, clinical guidelines established by professional medical organizations for the care of minors promote supportive interventions based on the current evidence and that enable young people to explore and live as the gender that they choose. Every major medical association in the United States, including the AMA, recognizes the medical necessity of transition-related care for improving the physical and mental health of transgender people.” [American Medical Association, 3/26/2021]

American Academy of Pediatrics: Bills That Would Criminalize Gender-Affirming Care For Transgender Youth “Interfere In The Physician-Patient-Family Relationship And Would Cause Undue Harm” To Trans Children. “The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that youth who identify as transgender have access to comprehensive, gender-affirming, and developmentally appropriate health care that is provided in a safe and inclusive clinical space… Evidence-based medical care for transgender and gender diverse children is a complex issue. Pediatricians are best able to determine what care is necessary and appropriate for these children, but these bills interfere in the physician-patient-family relationship and would cause undue harm.” [American Academy Of Pediatrics, 3/16/2021]

Pediatric Endocrine Society: Bills Eliminating Access To Surgical And Medical Treatments For Transgender Youth Are Based On Misinformation. “In the past three years, legislators in 17 states have proposed more than two dozen bills barring medical and surgical treatments for transgender and gender diverse youth and adults. Many of these bills reflect widespread misinformation about the nature of evidence-based gender-affirming medical care.” [Newswise, 12/14/2020]

Journal Of The American Medical Association: Gender-Affirming Care, Including Puberty Blockers And Hormones, Decreases The Prevalence Of Depression And Suicidality In Transgender And Nonbinary Youth. “This study found that gender-affirming medical interventions were associated with lower odds of depression and suicidality over 12 months. These data add to existing evidence suggesting that gender-affirming care may be associated with improved well-being among TNB youths over a short period, which is important given mental health disparities experienced by this population, particularly the high levels of self-harm and suicide.” [Journal Of The American Medical Association, 2/25/2022]

Ninety-Four Individuals, Many Associated With Far-Right Groups, Signed A Letter Drafted By The Conservative Action Project Urging Senators To Reject Levine’s Nomination

The Conservative Action Project Drafted A Letter Urging The Senate To Reject Levine’s Nomination. “Conservatives oppose the nomination of Dr. Rachel Levine to be Assistant Secretary of Health at the Department of Health and Human Services… Dr. Levine’s extremely poor track record as Secretary of Health in Pennsylvania, vague positions on dramatic and life-changing procedures in children, and a demonstrated hostility to religious liberty make this nominee unqualified to set a national agenda for public health. We urge the Senate to reject the nomination of Dr. Rachel Levine.” [Conservative Action Project, 3/16/2021]

The Conservative Action Project Letter Cited The Transphobic Remarks Made By Sen. Rand Paul During Levine’s Hearing. “Equally troubling, however, are Levine’s views on the use of puberty blockers and sex reassignment surgeries in children – something Dr. Levine apparently supports. When asked by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) whether minors are capable of making a decision as life altering as changing one’s sex, even against parental wishes, Dr. Levine did not answer the question, stating only that if confirmed, a briefing would be provided to the senator on the ‘standards of care’ in transgender medicine.” [Conservative Action Project, 3/16/2021]

The Conservative Action Project Was Created By The Council For National Policy And Its Membership Includes The Leaders Of Over 100 Organizations Involved In The Conservative Movement

The Conservative Action Project, Created By The Council For National Policy In 2008, Is A Coalition That Includes The Leaders Of Over 100 Organizations Involved In The Conservative Movement. “In 2008, at the beginning of the Obama Administration, CNP created the Conservative Action Project (CAP) to ‘facilitate conservative leaders working together on behalf of common goals. Participants include the CEO’s of over 100 organizations representing all major elements of the Conservative Movement-economic, social and national security,’ according to an invitation obtained by Documented.” [Documented, 3/18/2022]

Conservative Action Project Released Hundreds Of Memos And Wrote Letters To Republican Party Leaders Calling For The Party To Censure Two Republicans Who Sat On The January 6^th Select Committee. “CAP has published hundreds of memos since, including a letter to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy calling for Rep. Liz Cheney and Rep. Adam Kinzinger to be removed from the Republican conference ‘due to their egregious actions as part of the House of Representative’s January 6th Select Committee.’” [Documented, 3/18/2022]

The President Of The Council For National Policy, The Highly Secretive Conservative Network That Created The Conservative Action Project, Signed CAP’s Letter Urging The Senate To Reject Levine’s Nomination

President Of The Council For National Policy William Walton Signed Conservative Action Project’s Letter Urging The Senate To Reject Levine’s Nomination. [Conservative Action Project, 3/16/2021]

The Council For National Policy Is A Highly Secretive Group Of The Most Powerful Conservatives In The Country. “Three times a year for 23 years, a little-known club of a few hundred of the most powerful conservatives in the country have met behind closed doors at undisclosed locations for a confidential conference, the Council for National Policy, to strategize about how to turn the country to the right.” [New York Times, 8/28/2004]

The Southern Poverty Law Center Described The Council For National Policy As A Shadowy Organization Building The Conservative Movement. “For 35 years, a shadowy and intensely secretive group has operated behind the scenes, providing a venue three times a year for powerful American politicians and others on the right to meet privately to build the conservative movement.” [Southern Poverty Law Center, 5/17/2016]

A Leaked Document Showed That The Council For National Policy’s Membership Includes Major Conservative Donors And Operatives, Right-Wing Religious Extremists, And Former Trump Administration Officials. “The document – which reveals email addresses and phone numbers for most members – shows that the CNP includes members of SPLC-listed hate groups… Along with these representatives of extremist positions, the CNP rolls include members of ostensibly more mainstream conservative groups, and representatives of major American corporations. Still others come from the Republican party, a network of rightwing activist organizations, and the companies and foundations that back them.” [The Guardian, 9/30/2021]

The Council For National Policy Includes Leaders Of Influential Right-Wing Groups Such As The Federalist Society, The Heritage Foundation, And Alliance Defending Freedom. “Their membership list includes the leaders of many powerful or influential groups in republican politics, along with some more fringe elements, all ostensibly aligned with CNP’s mission to restore ‘religious and economic freedom, a strong national defense, and Judeo-Christian values under the Constitution.’ They include the leaders of the Heritage Foundation, the Federalist Society, the National Rifle Association, Club for Growth, Americans for Tax Reform, Alliance Defending Freedom, Judicial Watch, ALEC, and Turning Point USA, plus many more. James Bopp, the republican campaign finance lawyer behind the infamous Citizens United v. FEC lawsuit is a member, as is the 2020 Trump campaign lawyer Cleta Mitchell. Ginni Thomas, the activist (and wife of Justice Clarence Thomas) is on the CNP board and is a frequent speaker. Numerous conservative and religious-right media executives are members, including the CEO of The Washington Times, and Steve Forbes of Forbes Media.” [Documented, 11/10/2021]

The Council For National Policy’s Membership Includes Conservative Operatives And Groups That Organized Efforts To Overturn The Results Of The 2020 Election. “The astroturfed #StoptheSteal group that drew thousands of Trumpists to the Washington, D.C. rally on Wednesday that turned into a violent insurrection at the Capitol has strong ties with the influential Christian Right Council for National Policy… At least five members and leaders of the Council for National Policy (CNP) worked to turn out MAGA extremists and were scheduled to speak at the rally after Trump exhorted the crowd to march on the Capitol.” [The Center for Media and Democracy, 1/8/2021]

Jim DeMint, Chairman And Founder Of The Conservative Partnership Institute (CPI)—A Conservative Group Closely Tied To The American Accountability Foundation—Signed CAP’s Letter Smearing Levine, As Did CPI President And CEO Ed Corrigan

Chairman Of The Conservative Partnership Institute (CPI) Jim DeMint Signed Conservative Action Project’s Letter, As Did CPI President And CEO Ed Corrigan. [Conservative Action Project, 3/16/2021]

The Conservative Partnership Institute Was Founded In 2017 By Former Senator And Heritage Foundation Head Jim DeMint. “Former Sen. Jim DeMint will serve as chairman of the new Conservative Partnership Institute to fortify the presence of conservatives in Washington, he said in a news release Tuesday, adding that he thinks the status quo is hindering the development of conservative lawmakers and staffers. […] Previously, DeMint served at the helm of the Heritage Foundation, a venerable conservative think tank that at times has had a turbulent relationship with the rise of Donald Trump.” [Politico, 7/25/2017]

• CPI Was Created To Get Right-Wing Lawmakers Into Powerful Positions In The White House And Congress. “The backdrop: DeMint founded CPI because he felt the conservative movement did a lousy job at helping members of Congress be effective legislators once they get to D.C. His team has since focused on placing conservatives in prime spots in the Trump administration and Capitol Hill, and has trained staff on strategy and congressional rules and procedure.” [Axios, 1/27/2021]

The Conservative Partnership Institute’s Senior Legal Fellow Cleta Mitchell Worked With Trump To Pressure Georgia To Overturn The Election Results And Is Coordinating The Right-Wing Efforts To Combat Voting Rights

Cleta Mitchell Is Senior Legal Fellow At The Conservative Partnership Institute, Where She Has Coordinated Right-Wing Efforts To Combat Voting Rights. “Mitchell has two new roles in an emerging conservative voting operation. She’s running a $10 million initiative at the limited government group FreedomWorks to both push for new restrictions in voting and help train conservatives to get involved in the nuts and bolts of local elections. She’s also a senior legal fellow at the Conservative Partnership Institute, an organization run by former Republican Sen. Jim DeMint. She says she’ll use that role to ‘coordinate’ conservative voting positions, particularly in opposition to H.R. 1.” [AP, 3/28/2021]

• Mitchell Has Advised Conservative Lawmakers On How To Both Craft Laws To Restrict Voting Rights And Beat Back Efforts To Expand Them. “Now Mitchell has taken the helm of two separate efforts to push for tighter state voting laws and to fight Democratic efforts to expand access to the ballot at the federal level. She is also advising state lawmakers crafting the voting restriction proposals. And, she said Friday, she is in regular contact with Trump.” [AP, 3/28/2021]

Mitchell Participated In Trump’s Infamous Phone Call Where He Asked The Georgia Secretary Of State To “Find” Enough Votes For Him To Win The State. “Mitchell, a longtime Washington D.C. lawyer, worked with President Donald Trump to argue that he won the 2020 election and participated in the infamous phone call to the Georgia Secretary of State where Trump pushed the official to “find” enough voters to overturn Biden’s win in that state.” [Urban Milwaukee, 8/3/2021]

• Mitchell Attempted To Pressure Georgia Officials To Overturn The Election By Insisting She Had “Evidence” Of Widespread Voter Fraud. “Mitchell’s most public involvement in the voting wars came in participation on Trump’s call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on Jan. 2. During that call, Mitchell insisted she had evidence of voting fraud, but officials with the secretary of state’s office told her that her data was incorrect. The call is part of an investigation by the Fulton County District Attorney’s office into whether Trump or others improperly tried to influence election officials. Mitchell would not discuss the call or the investigation.” [AP, 3/28/2021]

Mitchell Chairs The Conservative Partnership Institute’s “Election Integrity Network.” “Cleta Mitchell is the Senior Legal Fellow at CPI and chairs CPI’s Election Integrity Network. Cleta is an attorney, licensed in Oklahoma and the District of Columbia, who has practiced election, campaign finance, and political law for decades.” [CPI.org, Accessed 3/17/2021]

• Mitchell Continued To Publicly Claim Trump Lost The 2020 Election Due To Voter Fraud Through 2021. “Mitchell says she believes the courts used legal trickery to avoid ever truly addressing Trump’s allegations of voter fraud. That evidence had made some conservative groups careful not to echo Trump’s baseless claims of election fraud, even as they argue for tighter restrictions on which Americans vote. Mitchell’s role could complicate that effort to keep a distance.” [AP, 3/28/2021]

The Conservative Partnership Institute Is Closely Tied To The American Accountability Foundation, A Conservative Group That Has Spent Millions In Its Effort To Undermine The Biden Administration’s Nominees

The Conservative Partnership Institute Is Listed On The American Accountability Foundation’s (AAF) IRS Form 1023 As AAF’s “Care Of Name,” And The Two Organizations Share An Address. [Conservative Partnership Institute 2019 IRS Form 990, Page 1]

• The American Accountability Foundation’s IRS Form 1023 Lists The Conservative Partnership Institute As Its “Care Of Name.”

[American Accountability Foundation IRS Form 1023, 1/25/21, Page 1]

• The American Accountability Foundation And Conservative Partnership Institute Share An Address.

[Conservative Partnership Institute 2019 IRS Form 990, Page 1]

Several Current And Former Employees At The Conservative Partnership Institute Have Also Worked At The American Accountability Foundation.

President And CEO Of The Conservative Partnership Institute Ed Corrigan, Who Signed The Conservative Action Project’s Letter Smearing Levine, Is Also The Treasurer-Director Of The American Accountability Foundation. [CPI.org, Accessed 5/23/22]

COO Of The Conservative Partnership Institute Wesley Denton Is Also The Secretary-Director Of The American Accountability Foundation. [CPI.org, Accessed 5/23/22]

American Accountability Foundation Founder Matt Buckham Worked For The Conservative Partnership Institute At Its Inception. “DeMint has hired several former Heritage staffers for his new outfit, including Wesley Denton, Matt Buckham, Rachel Bovard, and Megan Tubb.” [Think Tank Watch, 10/27/17]

The Conservative Partnership And The American Accountability Foundation Share Many Directors, Including AAF Founder Tom Jones. “The groups have several overlapping directors, including Jones, who sits on both boards.” [The New Yorker, 4/16/22]

The Conservative Partnership Institute’s Lawyer Denied Any Relationship Between CPI And The AAF, Despite Tax Documents And CPI’s Yearly Reports Clearly Stating Otherwise. “Cameron Seward, the general counsel of the Conservative Partnership Institute, appeared in the lobby and assured me that there was no relationship between his group and the A.A.F. Yet documents that the A.A.F. filed with the I.R.S. in 2021, to secure its tax-exempt status, describe the group as existing ‘in care of’ C.P.I. Moreover, C.P.I.’s 2021 annual report notes that it launched the A.A.F. because ‘conservatives didn’t have a group performing research on Biden’s woke nominees—even though plenty of liberal groups were digging up (or manufacturing) dirt on our side.’” [The New Yorker, 4/16/22]

The American Accountability Foundation (AAF) Is A Nonprofit Opposition Research Organization Whose Explicit Purpose Is To Sink The Biden Administration’s Nominees. 

The American Accountability Foundation’s Explicit Purpose Is To Prevent The Approval Of The Biden Administration’s Nominees. “An explicit purpose of the A.A.F.—a politically active, tax-exempt nonprofit charity that doesn’t disclose its backers—is to prevent the approval of all Biden Administration nominees.” [The New Yorker, 4/16/22]

The American Accountability Foundation’s Initial Programmatic Focus Was Lower-Level Biden Appointees. “[Thomas Jones] said the AAF has been focusing on Biden appointees who are just below Cabinet position, something he said that has been neglected by more traditional conservative organizations.” [Fox News, 4/13/21]

The American Accountability Foundation Usually Targets Female Nominees And Nominees Of Color. “The A.A.F., which is run by conservative white men, has particularly focused on blocking women and people of color. As of last month, more than a third of the twenty-nine candidates it had publicly attacked were people of color, and nearly sixty per cent were women.” [The New Yorker, 4/16/22]
The American Accountability Foundation Targets Both High-Profile And Lower-Level Biden Appointees. “And the A.A.F. hasn’t just undermined nominees for Cabinet and Court seats—the kinds of prominent people whose records are usually well known and well defended. It’s also gone after relatively obscure, sub-Cabinet-level political appointees, whose public profiles can be easily distorted and who have little entrenched support.” [The New Yorker, 4/16/22]

The American Accountability Foundation Claims Credit For Derailing The Nominations Of Three Of The Biden Administration’s Nominees. “Among the nominees the group boasts of having successfully derailed are Saule Omarova, a nominee for Comptroller of the Currency, and Sarah Bloom Raskin, whom Biden named to be the vice-chair for supervision of the Federal Reserve Board. David Chipman, whom the President wanted to run the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and David Weil, Biden’s choice for the Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor, both saw their nominations founder in the wake of A.A.F. attacks.” [The New Yorker, 4/16/22]

Alan Sears, Founder Of Prominent Anti-LGBTQ Group Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), Signed The Conservative Action Project’s Letter Smearing Levine, As Did ADF President And CEO Michael Farris

Founder Of Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) Alan Sears Signed The Conservative Action Project’s Letter Smearing Levine, As Did ADF President And CEO Michael Farris. [Conservative Action Project, 3/16/2021]

Alliance Defending Freedom Is A Recognized Extremist Group By The Southern Poverty Law Center For Its Hardline Anti-LGBTQ Views And Is One Of America’s Leading Groups Fighting LGBTQ Rights. “Founded by some 30 leaders of the Christian Right, the Alliance Defending Freedom is a legal advocacy and training group that has supported the recriminalization of homosexuality in the U.S. and criminalization abroad; has defended state-sanctioned sterilization of trans people abroad; has linked homosexuality to pedophilia and claims that a ‘homosexual agenda’ will destroy Christianity and society. ADF also works to develop ‘religious liberty’ legislation and case law that will allow the denial of goods and services to LGBT people on the basis of religion. Since the election of President Donald Trump, the ADF has become one of the most influential groups informing the administration’s attack on LGBT rights working with an ally in Attorney General Jeff Sessions.” [Southern Poverty Law Center, Accessed 1/20/2022]

ADF’s Foundational Belief Is That Conservative Christians Face Discrimination In American Society, And That “Religious Liberty” Must Be Protected To Fight This “Discrimination.” “This burgeoning ‘legal army’ has helped ADF advance its foundational narrative: that conservative Christians, in particular, face persecution in the United States[…] But no organization has played a more pivotal role than ADF in shaping and testing ‘religious freedom’ as the Christian right’s latest legal strategy in the culture wars. And while the Federalist Society has positioned itself as the right’s screening agency for the federal judiciary, no other conservative Christian legal organization has propelled so many attorneys into state and federal government, where they are now in positions to oversee the restructuring of civil-rights and First Amendment law in ADF’s mold.” [The Nation, 11/28/2017]

Media Matters: Alliance Defending Freedom Is The Most Influential Group Working To Roll Back LGBTQ Rights In America. “The group is in many ways the most influential group working to roll back LGBTQ equality in the country, frequently targeting basic protections for transgender students and pushing religious exemptions policies.” [Media Matters, 7/30/2018]

ADF Has Repeatedly Argued In Court That Anti-Discrimination Laws That Protect LGBTQ Individuals Violate The Right To Religious Freedom. “ADF now rivals some of the nation’s top private law firms in Supreme Court activity. It has trained thousands of lawyers, many of whom have gone on to government service at the federal, state, and local levels. […] As the courts have ruled in favor of marriage equality over the past decade, ADF has positioned itself at the very center of the efforts to curtail LGBTQ rights under the guise of religious freedom.” [The Nation, 11/28/2017]

ADF Filed A Lawsuit In 2022 Claiming That Teaching Critical Race Theory Discriminates Against Its Students, A Similar Claim It Has Used In Its Attempts To Restrict LGBTQ Rights. “A lawsuit filed by a Christian legal organization against a Virginia school district alleges it teaches critical race theory that discriminates against students because it ‘classifies all individuals into a racial group and identifies them as either perpetually privileged oppressors or perpetually victimized.’ The Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) is a Christian, conservative legal nonprofit based in Arizona that has won landmark Supreme Court cases allowing bakers to refuse to sell cakes celebrating same-sex weddings and companies to refuse to pay for employee contraceptive coverage because of religious beliefs of employers.” [Washington Post, 1/14/2022]

Republican Senator Rand Paul Used Levine’s Confirmation Hearing As An Opportunity To Spread Lies About Gender-Affirming Health Care Available To Trans Youth

During Levine’s Hearing, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) Drew An Egregious Comparison Between Genital Mutilation And Gender-Affirming Medical Interventions. “According to the WHO, genital mutilation is recognized internationally as a violation of human rights. Genital mutilation is considered particularly egregious because, as the WHO notes, it is nearly always carried out on minors and is a violation of the rights of children. Most genital mutilation is not typically performed by force, but as WHO notes, that by social convention, social norm, the social pressure to conform, to do what others do and have been doing, as well as the need to be accepted socially and the fear of being rejected by the community… American culture is now normalizing the idea that minors can be given hormones to prevent their biological development of their secondary sexual characteristics. Dr. Levine, do you believe that minors are capable of making such a life-changing decision as changing one’s sex?” [Senate Confirmation Hearing, via Rev, 2/25/2021]

During Levine’s Hearing, Sen. Rand Paul Cited Statistics From Anti-Trans, “Junk Science” Group The American College Of Pediatricians. “Dr. Levine, you have supported both allowing minors to be given hormone blockers, to prevent them from going through puberty, as well as surgical destruction of a minor’s genitalia. Like surgical mutilation, hormonal interruption of puberty can permanently alter and prevent secondary sexual characteristics. The American College of Pediatricians reports that 80 to 95% of prepubertal children with gender dysphoria will experience resolution by late adolescence if not exposed to medical intervention and social affirmation. Dr. Levine, do you believe that minors are capable of making such a life-changing decision as changing one’s sex?” [Senate Confirmation Hearing, via Rev, 2/25/2021]

• CNN: Paul’s Comparison Between Genital Mutilation And Gender-Affirming Treatments Relies On “Misinformation From Non-Credible Sources,” Including The American College Of Pediatricians. “Paul’s analogy relies on a misunderstanding of gender affirmation treatments and misinformation from non-credible sources. In making his comparison, Paul draws on data from the American College of Pediatricians, a group that many health experts believe is on the wrong side of a number of controversial medical topics, especially the issue of gender conversion therapy. Most medical professionals disagree with Paul’s comparison, including Dr. Jason Rafferty, who authored the American Association of Pediatricians’ policy statement on transgender and gender diverse youth health care. The World Health Organization (WHO), which the Kentucky senator cited, also distinguishes between the two practices, outlining best practices for the gender-affirming health care in 2017 while opposing all forms of female genital mutilation.” [CNN, 3/4/2021]

• American College of Pediatricians Was One Of Dozens Of Anti-LGBTQ Groups That Signed A Letter To Twitter Defending A Tweet Written By The Daily Citizen That Intentionally Misgendered Levine The Week She Was Announced As The HHS Nominee. “The letter was co-signed by other national organizations such as the American College of Pediatricians, a medical association that promotes the health and well-being of children, and the American Principles Project, a pro-family policy organization that engages in political advocacy.” [Daily Citizen, 1/29/2021]

• Southern Poverty Law Center: The American College Of Pediatricians Is A “Fringe Anti-LGBTQ Hate Group” That Pushes “Anti-LGBTQ Junk Science.” “The American College of Pediatricians (ACPeds) is a fringe anti-LGBTQ hate group that masquerades as the premier U.S. association of pediatricians to push anti-LGBTQ junk science, primarily via far-right conservative media and filing amicus briefs in cases related to gay adoption and marriage equality.” [Southern Poverty Law Center, Accessed 5/18/2022]

Sen. Rand Paul Parroted Conservative Media’s Lies That Levine Supports The “Surgical Destruction Of A Minor’s Genitalia” And “Surgical Mutilation” Of Prepubertal Children. “Dr. Levine, you have supported both allowing minors to be given hormone blockers, to prevent them from going through puberty, as well as surgical destruction of a minor’s genitalia. Like surgical mutilation, hormonal interruption of puberty can permanently alter and prevent secondary sexual characteristics. The American College of Pediatricians reports that 80 to 95% of prepubertal children with gender dysphoria will experience resolution by late adolescence if not exposed to medical intervention and social affirmation. Dr. Levine, do you believe that minors are capable of making such a life-changing decision as changing one’s sex?” [Senate Confirmation Hearing, via Rev, 2/25/2021]

• Rand Paul’s Lies About Children Undergoing Radical And “Life-Changing Decisions” Echoed The Myths Spread By Conservative Media, Including Fox News Host Laura Ingraham, Who Attacked Levine For The Same Reasons Two Days Before Her Hearing. “Paul’s anti-trans lies about surgery and ‘mutilation’ parrot the myths that right-wing media and anti-LGBTQ groups regularly use to fearmonger and spread disinformation about best practice medical care for trans youth – particularly the false claim that kids are undergoing ‘radical, life-altering decisions’ that are irreversible. Right-wing media have wielded these and other anti-trans attacks against Levine since she was first nominated in January… Notably, Fox News host Laura Ingraham attacked Levine for supporting health care for trans youth on February 23, two days before her hearing.” [Media Matters, 2/25/2021]

Following Sen. Rand Paul’s Questioning Of Levine, Conservative Media And Anti-LGBTQ Groups Praised Paul For His Attacks On Levine And Medical Treatments For Trans Youth.

Rand Paul Appeared On Laura Ingraham’s Show On Fox News On Feb. 26, The Day After Levine’s Hearing, To Defend And Double Down On His Attacks Against Levine. “Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) discussed his recent contentious questioning of Dr. Rachel Levine with Fox News host Laura Ingraham on Friday, describing the nominee for assistant Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary as an example of the radical leftist agenda being ushered in by President Joe Biden.” [Daily Wire, 2/28/2021]

Fox News Contributors On Sean Hannity’s Show Praised Sen. Rand Paul For His Attacks On Levine And Echoed His Lies. “Fox contributor Rachel Campos-Duffy claimed that Dr. Rachel Levine, nominee for assistant secretary of health and the first transgender person nominated to a Senate-confirmed position, is ‘part of a cultural Marxist movement that wants to erase gender in order to destroy notions of the traditional family.’ The segment, on Fox News’ Hannity, also featured Fox News contributor Dr. Nicole Saphier and spread misinformation about health care for trans youth. Both guests praised Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) for pushing right-wing media myths about trans youth during Levine’s February 24 Senate confirmation hearing, in which he lied that the Health and Human Services nominee supports the ‘genital mutilation’ of trans kids, who do not undergo gender affirmation surgeries.” [Media Matters, 2/26/2021]

The Conservative Action Project’s Letter To The Senate Urging Them To Reject Levine’s Nomination Cited The Transphobic Remarks That Sen. Rand Paul’s Made During Levine’s Hearing. “Equally troubling, however, are Levine’s views on the use of puberty blockers and sex reassignment surgeries in children – something Dr. Levine apparently supports. When asked by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) whether minors are capable of making a decision as life altering as changing one’s sex, even against parental wishes, Dr. Levine did not answer the question, stating only that if confirmed, a briefing would be provided to the senator on the ‘standards of care’ in transgender medicine.” [Conservative Action Project, 3/16/2021]

Paul’s Comparison Of Gender-Affirming Surgeries To Genital Mutilation Is A Right-Wing Talking Point That Has Been Used By Conservative Media In Recent Years To Promote Hate Against The Trans Community

The Federalist: Chest Binding Is “Akin To The Practices Of Female Genital Mutilation.” “Chest binding is akin to the practices of female genital mutilation and chest ironing, only instead of being implemented by parents seeking to disrupt their daughters’ sex lives, it is being undertaken by girls rebelling against the femaleness of their bodies. The more transgender ideology infiltrates culture, the more girls hear that to be female means to be ultra femme and that any form of female expression that deviates from that must be male. This is directly harming young people by giving the impression that the way they are is not good enough, and that they need to change their appearance to be acceptable.” [The Federalist, 6/7/2019]

Daily Wire: A 7-Year Old Child Whose Mother Is Forcing Them To Transition Will Be “Chemically Castrated.” “The court case revolved around Jeff’s efforts to rescue his sons (James and his twin brother) from the abuse of this sick and twisted woman. However, the decision was passed down yesterday, and the court ruled against the father. Virtually all control over James and his brother have now been handed to Georgulas. She is free to continue his ‘social transition’ into a girl — a process already well under way, as he goes by ‘Luna’ and poses as a girl at his mother’s house and at school. Eventually she can, and presumably will, start James on drugs to chemically castrate him. There is nothing his father can do to stop it, short of ‘kidnapping’ the boy and fleeing the country (a move that would be not only morally justified, but heroic).” [Daily Wire, 10/22/2019]

Washington Examiner: The “Transgender Movement” Advocates For “Chemically Castrating Young Children.” “A 7-year-old boy cannot be transgender. At least, not with anywhere near the certainty necessary to justify taking steps toward life-altering, potentially irreversible physical changes such as hormone therapy or puberty blockers. This stance — against chemically castrating young children — is now considered radical and abusive, rather than obvious common sense, at the fringes of the transgender movement.” [Washington Examiner, 10/23/2019]

Washington Examiner: Gender-Affirming Surgeries Are “Nothing Short Of Mutilation.” “The medical aspect of transgenderism is even more serious, particularly as it pertains to children who claim to experience gender dysphoria and seek hormone-blocking medications before they’ve even entered or completed puberty. The psychological issues that transgender people encounter, made no less difficult by a culture that says everyone should ignore those very issues, turn their lives into hell. This is especially true of transgender people who physically alter their genitals through surgeries that can be described as nothing short of mutilation.” [Washington Examiner, 2/22/2021]

Sen. Rand Paul’s Comparison Of Gender-Affirming Surgery To Genital Mutilation Is A Conservative Talking Point That Has Been Used By Republican Lawmakers In Recent Years To Push Anti-Trans Policies

December 2019: Republican Lawmakers In At Least Six States Propose Bills To Criminalize Gender-Affirming Medical Care For Transgender Youth, Comparing Procedures To “Genital Mutilation” And “Castration.” “This year, lawmakers in Illinois and New Hampshire tried to pass bills criminalizing parents and doctors who helped kids transition. South Dakota legislators proposed a bill that would allow parents to refuse transition-related health care for their kids. None of them passed. Of the upcoming legislation, only the South Carolina bill text has been released so far, so the exact language in the others is unclear. But many of the announcements surrounding the proposals included hyperbolic talk of ‘castration,’ ‘genital mutilation and ‘radical surgery.’” [Mother Jones, 12/4/2019]

January 2020: Republican Lawmakers In Colorado Introduce The “Protection of Minors from Mutilation and Sterilization Act.” “If enacted, HB20-1114 would force doctors to violate existing standards of medical care for transgender patients—standards that are endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics and other leading medical authorities. It makes transgender affirming healthcare for youth a Felony Three in Colorado, which carries up to 12 years in prison and a $750,000 fine.” [One Colorado, 2/4/2020]

January 2021: Republican State Senator In Mississippi Introduced An Act “Prohibiting The Mutilation Of Girls And Young Women” Amidst A Wave Of Anti-Trans Bill Proposals In The State. “An Act Prohibiting The Mutilation Of Girls And Young Women, Creating Civil Remedies For Victims Of Mutilation, And Providing A Statute Of Limitations For Actions Arising From Such Acts.” [Bill Track 50, Accessed 5/17/2022]

Upon Joe Biden Taking Office, The Republican Party And Conservative Media Ramped Up Their Attacks On Trans Rights By Spreading Disinformation About Gender-Affirming Health Care For Trans Youth And Stoking The Debate Around Transgender Athletes’ Participation In Sports

Republicans Have Made Targeting Transgender Children, Particularly Transgender Athletes, A Focal Point Of The Party As A Backlash To Biden’s Push To Expand Trans Rights. “Biden is pursuing a little-noticed but sweeping effort to remake transgender rights in America, which in turn has sparked a conservative backlash and fed into Republicans’ efforts to portray Democrats as extreme on social issues. Among other arguments, conservatives are increasingly seizing on the much-disputed notion that embracing transgender rights threatens women’s sports… But it is Biden’s push to expand transgender rights that is emerging as a focal point for a Republican Party that remains divided on a host of other issues.” [Washington Post, 3/3/2021]

Republicans Have Been Taking Advantage Of The Debate Around Transgender Women’s Participation In Sports To Advance Conservative, Anti-LGBTQ Candidates. “Conservatives make little secret of their view that highlighting women’s sports is an advantageous way for them to frame the discussion, rather than debating the right of transgender people to be treated like everyone else. Terry Schilling, executive director of the American Principles Project, has long been trying to shape a message on transgender policy for Republican political candidates. The group’s polling last year, he said, suggests that many voters — including Biden supporters and those who otherwise back LGBTQ rights — oppose letting athletes who were assigned male at birth compete in women’s sports.” [Washington Post, 3/3/2021]

In The First Two Months Of Joe Biden’s Presidency, Fox News Aired At Least 86 Segments Featuring Discussions About Trans People, Spreading Disinformation About Gender-Affirming Care And Athletic Participation For Trans Youth. “From the day President Joe Biden took office through March 18, Fox News aired 86 segments featuring discussions about transgender people, the majority of which fearmongered about trans athletes and lied about best practice health care for trans youth. Fox anchors, hosts, and guests also cited trans issues in 65 passing mentions, often describing them critically or listing them among examples of supposedly extreme Democratic policies.” [Media Matters, 3/22/2021]

The Same Day As Levine’s Hearing, The U.S. House Voted To Pass The Pro-LGBTQ Rights Equality Act, Which Was Attacked By Anti-LGBTQ Groups And Opposed By All But Three Republican Representatives.

On February 25, 2021, The Same Day That Levine Had Her Senate Confirmation Hearing, The U.S. House Of Representatives Passed The Equality Act, An Act That Created LGBTQ Nondiscrimination Protections. “Two historic moments of progress for LGBTQ people occurred on Thursday, February 25: The House of Representatives passed broad LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections in the Equality Act, and Dr. Rachel Levine — the first transgender person nominated to a Senate-confirmed position — had her Senate confirmation hearing to be assistant secretary of health.” [Media Matters, 3/4/2021]

The Equality Act Was Opposed By All But Three Republican Representatives. “The House of Representatives voted on Thursday to pass the Equality Act, a bill that would ban discrimination against people based on sexual orientation and gender identity. It would also substantially expand the areas to which those discrimination protections apply. It’s a bill that President Biden said on the campaign trail would be one of his top legislative priorities for the first 100 days of his presidency. The House vote was largely along party lines, passing with the support of all Democrats and just three Republicans.” [NPR, 2/24/2021]

Leading Up To The House Vote On The Equality Act, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Denied The Existence Of Trans People And Called The Legislation “An Attack on God’s Creation.” “Much of the current debate has focused on the renewed push to pass the Equality Act, which would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The legislation passed the House by a 224-to-206 vote, with three Republicans joining Democrats in support. It now heads to the Senate, where 10 Republicans would need to vote in favor if all Democrats support it. During the House debate, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) called the legislation ‘an attack on God’s creation’ and said it would mean that ‘men who dress and think they are women will have rights over all real girls and women.’” [Washington Post, 3/3/2021]

• Greene Later Antagonized Rep. Marie Newman, Whose Daughter Is Transgender, By Putting Up A Sign In Front Of Her Office—Across The Hall From Newman’s— Which Said, “There Are TWO Genders: MALE & FEMALE. Trust The Science!” “Greene, who was removed from her committee assignments in the House over her statements and social media posts supporting false conspiracies, then put up her sign, which reads: ‘There are TWO genders: MALE & FEMALE. Trust The Science!’… ‘Our neighbor, @RepMarieNewman, wants to pass the so-called ‘Equality’ Act to destroy women’s rights and religious freedoms. Thought we’d put up ours so she can look at it every time she opens her door,’ Greene tweeted.” [USA Today, 2/25/2021]

Right-Wing Group The Heritage Foundation Smeared The Equality Act, Claiming It Would Discriminate Against Americans For Their “Beliefs About Marriage And Biological Sex.” “Where the original Civil Rights Act of 1964 furthered equality by ensuring that African-Americans had equal access to public accommodations and material goods, the Equality Act would further inequality by penalizing everyday Americans for their beliefs about marriage and biological sex. Similar sexual orientation and gender identity laws at the state and local level have already been used in this way.” [Heritage Foundation, Accessed 5/26/2022]

• The Heritage Foundation Claimed The Equality Act Would Victimize Hospitals And Insurers By “Forcing Them” To Provide And Pay For Gender-Affirming Medical Care. “The Equality Act would force hospitals and insurers to provide and pay for these therapies against any moral or medical objections. It would politicize medicine by forcing professionals to act against their best medical judgment and provide transition-affirming therapies.” [Heritage Foundation, Accessed 5/26/2022]

• The Heritage Foundation Claimed The Equality Act Would Allow For A “Radical Protocol” For Trans Youth, Citing The Same Statistic That Sen. Rand Paul Referenced During Levine’s Hearing. “This politicization of medicine would ultimately harm families by normalizing hormonal and surgical interventions for gender dysphoric children as well as ideological ‘education’ in schools and other public venues. 80 to 95 percent of children with gender dysphoria no longer feel distressed by their bodies after puberty. Yet activists continue to push their own radical protocol: social transition as young as 4, puberty-blocking drugs as young as 9, cross-sex hormones as young as 14, and surgery by 18 (or, in some cases, even younger).” [Heritage Foundation, Accessed 5/26/2022]

• The Heritage Foundation Claimed The Equality Act Would Lead To The “Erasure Of Women.” “The Equality Act would ultimately lead to the erasure of women by dismantling sex-specific facilities, sports, and other female-only spaces. Sexual orientation and gender identity laws that open up sex-specific facilities like bathrooms, locker rooms, etc. to members of the opposite sex enable sexual assault.” [Heritage Foundation, Accessed 5/26/2022]