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Amid a rising tide of anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric in Congress, officials called out the Georgia congresswoman’s derogatory comments against the assistant secretary for health.
The White House and LGBTQ+ rights advocates have strongly criticized Georgia U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s incendiary and offensive remarks about Rachel Levine, assistant secretary for health and the first out transgender official confirmed by the U.S. Senate to an administration position, and proposal to reduce Levine's salary to $1.
Greene’s legislative stunt, marked by consistent misgendering has sparked widespread condemnation in a political environment increasingly antagonistic toward LGBTQ+ officials. Greene also continually used Levine’s deadname — the name a person used before they transitioned — a practice widely considered incredibly offensive.
A White House spokesperson expressed outrage to The Advocate.
“It’s a hateful, dangerous, and unacceptable stunt that comes at a time when the LGBTQI+ community is under unprecedented attack,” the spokesperson said. “The Biden-Harris Administration proudly stands with Admiral Rachel Levine, assistant secretary for health, a public servant who works every day to improve the health and well-being of all Americans. We will continue to stand up and speak out against hate and intolerance in all forms.”
Related: Marjorie Taylor Greene and House Republicans Are Trying to Cut Pete Buttigieg's Salary to $1 a Year
Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra also supported Levine, writing on X, formerly Twitter, “HHS and I unequivocally stand with our @HHS_ASH, Admiral Rachel Levine & the community she serves as a role model for. There’s no room for bigotry in our public discourse. We won’t tolerate any attacks on the LGBTQI+ community, their right to access care and to be who they are.”
Levine is also an admiral in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps.
Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign, criticized the Republican Party's targeting of LGBTQ+ public servants in a statement to The Advocate.
“Rather than do the important work of the American people, the House GOP is again taking aim at LGBTQ+ public servants… Shame on these lawmakers for looking to score cheap, cruel political points,” Robinson said.
Before her amendment failed on Wednesday, Greene targeted Levine on the House floor Tuesday, saying, “My amendment uses the Holman Rule to reduce no, castrate, the salary of Assistant Secretary of Health [Rachel] Levine to $1.”
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Greene continued, “[Rachel] Levine was a diversity hire by the Biden administration to push the demonic gender-affirming care agenda.”
Further, she claimed, “[S]he is unfit to serve as the HHS assistant secretary for health,” and accused Levine of focusing on “grooming children, adolescents, and young adults.”
UPDATE: The House rejected an amendment to cut the salary of Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral Rachel Levine to $1.\n\nIt\u2019s disgusting that this amendment specifically targeted the 1st openly transgender Senate-confirmed federal official.— (@)
The Holman Rule is a legislative provision that allows members of the U.S. House of Representatives to propose amendments to appropriations bills that target specific federal government employees or programs by reducing their salaries or eliminating their positions.
This incident followed a similar proposal last week by Greene against Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg. Additionally, Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado attacked Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness Shawn Skelly, misgendering them and proposing to cut their salary to $1.
“Hate-fueled efforts to ‘punish’ openly LGBTQ+ officials Assistant Secretary Skelly and Admiral Levine do nothing to advance the nation’s interests and are part of the same anti-LGBTQ+ attacks that voters have repeatedly rejected across the country,” Robinson said.
