Overview
- NPR published a digital photograph showing Levine’s prior name typed under the glass on her official portrait in the Humphrey Building.
- An HHS spokesperson confirmed the alteration and said the department seeks to reverse Levine-era policies and emphasize what it calls biological reality.
- Former deputy Adrian Shanker denounced the change as petty and bigoted and criticized the use of institutional power for such actions.
- Critics said the modification appears to have occurred during the recent federal shutdown, raising questions about compliance with limits on nonessential work.
- Levine, the first transgender person confirmed by the Senate to the role, issued a brief statement declining to comment beyond noting her continued focus on public health.