Overview
- HHS confirmed to NPR that the nameplate on Adm. Rachel Levine’s official portrait now displays her prior name, with a photo showing the label placed under the frame’s glass.
- Adrian Shanker, Levine’s former deputy and spokesperson, condemned the change as pettiness and bigotry and said it was carried out during the federal shutdown.
- HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon defended the step, saying the department aims to present “gold standard science,” reverse policies enacted by Levine, and prioritize “biological reality.”
- Reporting places the alteration during the recent federal shutdown and shortly after the confirmation of Assistant Secretary for Health Brian Cristine, prompting procedural questions.
- Levine declined to elaborate beyond saying she was honored to serve and would not comment on a petty action; she was the first transgender person confirmed by the Senate in 2021.