Numerous Departments of Public Health across the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/united-states" target="_blank" rel="noopener">United States</a> are opting to replace &#8220;mother&#8221; and &#8220;father&#8221; for &#8220;birth parent&#8221; and &#8220;non-birth parent,&#8221; respectively.
A trove of scanned documents from the The Connecticut Department of Public Health circulating on social media reveal their official childbirth forms have been altered to substitute mother with &#8220;birth parent&#8221; and father with &#8220;non-birth parent.&#8221;
The documents surfaced on Twitter Friday after a Connecticut father, whose wife is expecting to deliver their second child at home, shared them with a third party. The paperwork was noticeably different from the first time the couple did a home birth.
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1/ 🧵The Connecticut Department of Public Health has removed the words &quot;mother&quot; and &quot;father&quot; from all medical paperwork surrounding childbirth. Mothers are now the &quot;birth parent,&quot; and fathers the &quot;non-birth parent.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/GwEdt34DFP">pic.twitter.com/GwEdt34DFP</a>
&mdash; Colin Wright (@SwipeWright) <a href="https://twitter.com/SwipeWright/status/1568295574621011968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 9, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The &#8220;Registration of a Home Birth Parent’s Guide&#8221; contains instructions and forms for the “birth parent” and “non-birth parent” to obtain the child’s birth certificate, and a variety of data-collecting forms requesting background information and medical data, affidavits, and immunization records from the &#8220;birth parent&#8221; and &#8220;non-birth parent.&#8221;
The “Birth Parent’s Worksheet for Child Birth Certificate (v2003),” revised in January 2022, is also found <a href="https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/Departments-and-Agencies/DPH/hisr/VR/BIRTH_PARENTS_WORKSHEET-REVISION-012022-v2.pdf">online</a>. A previous version from <a href="https://ctcoastalobgyn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Birth-Registration-Form-1-1-16.pdf">2016</a> and <a href="https://www.pdffiller.com/jsfiller-desk17/?requestHash=fef38141b36e73b99b9b89c85d4b054fc0b6779c2cba8e58b73c7362e8ed858a&amp;projectId=1097821511&amp;loader=tips&amp;replace_gtm=false#0261134a40d441bc9464238ebc98427d">2017</a> shows the change from “Mother’s Worksheet” to “Birth Parent’s Worksheet.” The Daily Wire reached out to the Connecticut Department of Public Health for comment, but did not receive a response in time for publication.
Similar guidance for “birthing parents” is issued by the <a href="https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/Documents/Reporting-Registries/eVitals/Birthing%20Parent%27s%20Worksheet.pdf">Pennsylvania Department of Health</a> and the <a href="https://ccphohio.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/21/2017/02/nbbirthcertpacket.pdf">Ohio Department of Health</a>.
The Head Start program of the Department of Health and Human Services updated several of their parenting resources in recent months to incorporate “inclusive language.”
In a note from the <a href="https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/how-hs-services-improve-maternal-birth-outcomes.pdf">PDF</a> for improving outcomes of “birthing parents,” the HHS acknowledges the language update: “This document uses the terms ‘birthing parents’ and ‘pregnant and postpartum people’ to refer to anyone who gives birth, regardless of their gender identity, which may be female, male, nonbinary, or other.”
On a <a href="https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/nutrition/article/breastfeeding-infant-nutrition">page</a> updated on August 10, 2022, dedicated to information on Child Nutrition, HHS included a note on the vocabulary update. “Consider using the words ‘parent,’ ‘birthing parent,’ and ‘pregnant person’ instead of or in addition to ‘woman’ and ‘mother,’” reads the HHS guidance.
The HHS Head Start program also provides resources on breastfeeding, for which they opt to include the term “<a href="https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/nutrition/article/breastfeeding-infant-nutrition">chestfeeding</a>.” They explain, “‘Chestfeeding’ is another term that can be used as a way for transgender and nonbinary parents to describe how they feed and nurture their babies after childbirth by feeding them milk from their chest.”
The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM) created a <a href="https://www.bfmed.org/assets/Gender%20Inclusive%20Statement.pdf">language guide</a> last year with a table titled &#8220;Suggested Terms in Breastfeeding and Human Lactation.&#8221; On the left-hand side, a column labeled &#8220;traditional terms&#8221; includes &#8220;breast milk,&#8221; while a middle column of &#8220;Gender-inclusive terms&#8221; suggests &#8220;father’s milk&#8221; as a possible alternative.
The guideline also includes words &#8220;chestfeeding,&#8221; &#8220;human milk feeding,&#8221; and &#8220;lactating person&#8221; to use in place of &#8220;traditional terms&#8221; like breastfeeding, nursing mother, and breast. The ABM published its latest <a href="https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/bfm.2021.29188.abm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">position statement</a> in August of 2021, with its intended mission to affirm their &#8220;commitment to gender equality and health equity&#8221; and provide &#8220;guidelines on infant feeding and lactation-related language and gender.&#8221;

Nurse looking at patientÕs medical chart

State Public Health Departments Opt For ‘Birth Parent’ In Place Of ‘Mother’ On Medical Forms

State Public Health Departments Opt For 'Birth Parent' In Place Of 'Mother' On Medical Forms

Connecticut

Health and Human Services

Medical

President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a> signed an executive order Wednesday calling on Health and Human Services Secretary <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/xavier-becerra">Xavier Becerra</a> to aid women crossing state lines to obtain <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/abortion">abortions</a>.
“[Republicans] don’t have a clue about the power of American women,” the president said on Wednesday before he signed the order. “Last night in Kansas they found out.”
Biden&#8217;s order, a response to leftist panic following the overturn of Roe v. Wade, includes a provision that asks Becerra to invite states who are treating patients who have crossed state lines for abortions to apply for Medicaid waivers.
&#8220;In furtherance of the policy set forth in section 1 of this order, the Secretary of HHS shall consider actions to advance access to reproductive healthcare services, including, to the extent permitted by Federal law, through Medicaid for patients traveling across State lines for medical care,&#8221; the order said.
Medicaid is taxpayer funded, and the Hyde Amendment prohibits the use of taxpayer funds for abortions. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Daily Wire on this point.
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The order also notes that Becerra &#8220;shall evaluate the adequacy of research, data collection, and data analysis and interpretation efforts at the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other relevant HHS components in accurately measuring the effect of access to reproductive healthcare on maternal health outcomes and other health outcomes,&#8221; before taking &#8220;appropriate actions to improve those efforts.&#8221;
</div>

Screen Shot 2022-08-03 at 3.45.29 PM

Biden Signs Executive Order To Aid Women Crossing State Lines For Abortions

Abortion

Biden Administration

Joe Biden

Xavier Becerra

As Americans across the nation move past the pandemic, President Joe Biden&#8217;s top health official sounded the alarm on Monday that existing or new variants of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/covid-19">COVID</a> may resurge toward the end of the year.
&#8220;Come the fall and winter,”  Xavier Becerra, Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), told a reporter. “Most everyone who is an expert on pandemics and these viruses will tell you that there&#8217;s a strong chance we will see a resurgence of the virus — whether it&#8217;s the variants that we have now or the new variants.&#8221;
&#8220;We gotta be ready,&#8221; he added.
Becerra, who listed ending the pandemic as his top priority when appointed the position, <a href="https://aspr.hhs.gov/legal/PHE/Pages/COVID19-12Apr2022.aspx">renewed</a> the Public Health Emergency Orders on April 12 for another 90 days with an expiration date of July 15.
However, Bloomberg News <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-07-11/white-house-to-extend-covid-public-health-emergency#:~:text=The%20Biden%20administration%20has%20said,public%20health%20emergency%20in%20May.">reported</a> on Monday the Biden Administration would push the COVID emergency health orders back since HHS did not issue a 60 days notice to states since the last renewal, which the department pledged to do if it decided to terminate the orders.
Since he took his position shortly after Biden assumed office last year, Becerra has extended the public health emergency orders five times.
The Republican National Committee <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1546533263476461573">shared</a> Becerra&#8217;s latest comment adding the Biden Administration promised to shut down the virus.
&#8220;But it was all a lie,&#8221; the committee said.
Twitter users flooded the tweet with comments saying the so-called resurgence would rise from the &#8220;midterm variant,&#8221; as Becerra hinted the spike could happen around the 2022 Midterm elections in November.
Becerra&#8217;s COVID concerns emerged the same day legacy media circulated reports of scientists warning Americans of a new coronavirus mutant spreading in India and other countries — including the United States.
The Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-health-india-united-states-e461b0c0db39707aab884378c24292ae">reports</a> that scientists said the new variant, BA.2.75, may stand against immunity, previous infections, and vaccines. However, the effects of the mutation remain unclear.
&#8220;It&#8217;s still really early for us to draw too many conclusions,&#8221; Matthew Binnicker, director of clinical virology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, told The Associated Press. &#8220;But it does look like, especially in India, the rates of transmission are showing kind of that exponential increase.&#8221;
Shishi Luo, head of infectious diseases for Helix, which provides the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with viral sequencing information, told The Associated Press since many countries worldwide have detected BA.2.75, it&#8217;s &#8220;an early indication it is spreading.&#8221;
But despite the ongoing spread of the coronavirus, a recent Senate Opportunity Fund survey suggests only 21 percent of Americans consider COVID a top concern.

HHS Secretary Becerra Holds News Conference On Supreme Court Dobbs V. Jackson Decision

Biden Top Health Official Warns Of A ‘Resurgence’ Of COVID Variants Starting This Fall

Biden Top Health Official Warns Of A 'Resurgence' Of COVID Variants Around 2022 Midterms

2022 Midterms

COVID-19

President Joe Biden&#8217;s Department of Health and Human Services recently created &#8220;The Office of Environmental Justice,&#8221; but critics are slamming the office for wasting taxpayer dollars and pushing &#8220;a woke political agenda&#8221; rather than focusing on more pressing issues.
On Monday, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra announced that the Biden administration established the office because &#8220;many communities across our nation – particularly low-income communities and communities of color – continue to bear the brunt of pollution from industrial development, poor land use decisions, transportation, and trade corridors.&#8221; Yet, Jack Kalavritinos, a former senior HHS official, told The Daily Wire that the office is a bit redundant.
&#8220;How is it a good idea to transfer staff from other key divisions into a yet unfunded office?&#8221; Kalavritinos told The Daily Wire. &#8220;Especially when there are so many core missions that need addressing such as the youth mental health and substance abuse crises exacerbated by the draconian Covid shutdowns.&#8221;
There is data backing up Kalavritinos&#8217; concern for mental health.
In April 2022, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/has-the-cdc-been-truthful-about-the-mental-health-impact-of-lockdowns">reported</a> that &#8220;one batch of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/as-many-schools-remain-closed-suicide-related-er-visits-rise-by-51-among-teenage-girls">data</a> released from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — the main federal entity that charted America’s approach to lockdowns — revealed that the number of emergency room visits for suspected suicide attempts rose by 51% from February 21-March 21, 2021 among girls age 12-17 compared to the same stretch of time in 2019.&#8221;
&#8220;This increase came in the aftermath of strict lockdowns and an overall increase in the number of emergency room visits connected to mental health reasons in 2020,&#8221; The Daily Wire noted.
&#8220;Sounds like a woke political agenda versus smart evidence/based public health,&#8221; Kalavritinos added.
Kalavritinos also pointed out that there are &#8220;plenty of offices that address public health for the underserved at HHS.&#8221;
Those are offices like Public Health Service, Office of the Assitant Secretary of Health, The Office of Minority Affairs, The Indian Health Services, and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
&#8220;No need to create another office by shifting staff from other offices in order to get a positive reaction from the extreme environmental activists,&#8221; Kalavritinos added.
Similarly, The Department of Justice also recently created an &#8220;Office of Environmental Justice.&#8221; That office will &#8220;serve as a &#8216;central hub&#8217; for the department&#8217;s efforts to advance its &#8216;comprehensive environmental justice enforcement strategy,'&#8221; Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/doj-unveils-new-office-environmental-justice">noted</a>.
&#8220;Although violations of our environmental laws can happen anywhere, communities of color, indigenous communities, and low-income communities often bear the brunt of the harm caused by environmental crime, pollution, and climate change,&#8221; Attorney General Merrick Garland said at the time. &#8220;For far too long, these communities have faced barriers to accessing the justice they deserve. The Office of Environmental Justice will serve as the central hub for our efforts to advance our comprehensive environmental justice enforcement strategy. We will prioritize the cases that will have the greatest impact on the communities most overburdened by environmental harm.&#8221;
Kalavritinos was not alone in his concern that Biden&#8217;s HHS is focusing on the wrong priorities.
Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) also slammed the administration for not paying more attention to the brewing baby formula shortage crisis while they were building the new environmental justice office.
&#8220;It&#8217;s no coincidence that Biden&#8217;s HHS caused a national formula shortage as it was developing an &#8216;Environmental Justice&#8217; office,&#8221; Cotton tweeted. &#8220;When HHS spends its resources pursuing extreme leftist policies, it fails to achieve the mission of enhancing the health and well-being of Americans.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
It&#8217;s no coincidence that Biden&#8217;s HHS caused a national formula shortage as it was developing an &#8220;Environmental Justice&#8221; office.
When HHS spends its resources pursuing extreme leftist policies, it fails to achieve the mission of enhancing the health and well-being of Americans. <a href="https://t.co/mwE7Lg1IWz">https://t.co/mwE7Lg1IWz</a>
— Tom Cotton (@TomCottonAR) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomCottonAR/status/1531797365761445892?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2022</a></blockquote>

‘Sounds Like A Woke Political Agenda’: Biden’s New ‘Office Of Environmental Justice’  Blasted For Wasting Taxpayer Money

President Joe Biden's Health And Human Services Department Creates New 'Office Of Environmental Justice‘

Environmentalism

Health

Tom Cotton

A Texas judge denied the Biden administration’s effort to dismiss Texas’ lawsuit targeting the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which had issued controversial guidance allowing exceptions for LGBT employees from workplace policies.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission had issued guidance in March 2020 that mandated mixed-use bathrooms, gender pronouns, and dress codes in the workplace; the Biden administration’s Health and Human Services had issued guidance against Texas’s child abuse laws and “sex-change” procedures.
“The federal government <a href="https://thetexan.news/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/EEOC-Motion-to-Dismiss.pdf">asked</a> the judge to dismiss the case for several reasons, including the claim that the Supreme Court interpreted sex discrimination to include gender identity as well as biological sex in <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/17-1618">Bostock v. Clayton County</a> and that these guidance documents were only summaries, not binding rules,” <a href="https://thetexan.news/judge-rules-texas-may-continue-lawsuit-over-federal-requirement-that-employers-accommodate-transgender-pronouns-facility-use/">The Texan</a> reported.
“The Biden Administration’s constant attack on Texas values will not be met without a fight,” Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton <a href="https://texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/ag-paxton-victorious-again-court-green-lights-texas-suit-against-biden-administration">said</a>. “We stand by the law of the land and will not bend to Biden’s empty threats that twist the U.S. Constitution. I will protect our children from life-altering procedures that put their lives at risk. Texans will not be bullied to adopt the Biden Administration’s sexual ideology. I look forward to our day in court.”
The Biden Administration also argued that Texas’ lawsuit was premature because President Biden’s threatened enforcement actions had not yet been implemented. But Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk sided with Texas.
“The March 2 Guidance ‘does not simply repeat the relevant provisions’ of the statutes and regulations it relies on,” Kacsmaryk <a href="https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/sites/default/files/images/executive-management/20220526_53%20ORDER%20Granting%20and%20Denying%20in%20Part%20Ds'%20MTD.Judge%20Kacsmaryk.pdf">wrote</a>. “Instead, the March 2 Guidance ‘purports to interpret authoritatively’ those statutory and regulatory requirements. The March 2 Guidance states: ‘Section 1557 protects the right of individuals to access the health programs and activities of recipients of federal financial assistance without facing discrimination on the basis of sex, which includes discrimination on the basis of gender identity.’”
“Therefore — according to HHS — ‘[c]ategorically refusing to provide treatment to an individual based on their gender identity is prohibited discrimination,’ and ‘federally-funded covered entities restricting an individual’s ability to receive medically necessary care, including gender-affirming care, from their health care provider solely on the basis of their sex assigned at birth or gender identity likely violates Section 1557,’” he noted.
“But Section 1557 does not include the terms ‘sex’ or ‘gender identity I,” he explained. “Instead, Section 1557 expressly incorporates Title IX, which prohibits discrimination ‘on the basis of sex.’ Based on the ordinary public meaning conveyed when Congress enacted Title IX and “judicially accepted principles of linguistics in reading the whole — including compositionality . . . . Title IX appears to operate in binary terms — male and female — when it references ‘sex.’”
&nbsp;

President Biden Delivers Remarks On Plans To Lower Inflation

Texas Defeats Biden, Judge Won’t Dismiss Lawsuit On LGBT Issues

EEOC

LGBTQ

Texas

The highest-ranking transgender person in the Biden administration, who is also a pediatrician, claimed, “There is no argument among medical professionals &#8230; about the value and the importance of gender-affirming care.”
<a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/04/29/1095227346/rachel-levine-calls-state-anti-lgbtq-bills-disturbing-and-dangerous-to-trans-you">Speaking</a> to National Public Radio, Admiral Rachel Levine, the U.S. assistant secretary for health, used the opportunity to attack Florida’s surgeon general, Joseph Ladopo, an ally of Florida GOP Governor Ron DeSantis. Levine accused Ladopo of putting out “a statement based upon political considerations that is not appropriate.”
Ladopo had released a <a href="https://www.floridahealth.gov/_documents/newsroom/press-releases/2022/04/20220420-gender-dysphoria-guidance.pdf?utm_source=floridahealth.gov&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=newsroom&amp;utm_content=article&amp;url_trace_7f2r5y6=https://www.floridahealth.gov/newsroom/2022/04/20220420-gender-dysphoria-press-release.pr.html">fact sheet</a> on April 20 that stated it would “clarify evidence recently cited on a fact sheet released by the US Department of Health and Human Services.” Ladopo wrote, ”Systematic reviews on hormonal treatment for young people show a trend of low-quality evidence, small sample sizes, and medium to high risk of bias.”
The HHS <a href="https://opa.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/2022-03/gender-affirming-care-young-people-march-2022.pdf">fact sheet</a> to which Ladopo referred stated, “For transgender and nonbinary children and adolescents, early gender- affirming care is crucial to overall health and well-being as it allows the child or adolescent to focus on social transitions and can increase their confidence while navigating the healthcare system.”
The fact sheet offered examples of “gender-affirming care” including, “Using certain types of hormones to pause pubertal development,” giving “Testosterone hormones for those who were assigned female at birth,” and “estrogen hormones for those who were assigned male at birth,” “&#8217;Top’ surgery – to create male-typical chest shape or enhance breasts,” and  “&#8217;Bottom’ surgery – surgery on genitals or reproductive organs.”
The Florida Department of Health fact sheet noted evidence claiming that most children , who identified with their non-birth sex eventually reverted to believing their birth sex was correct. That fact sheet reported, “A paper published in the <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/09540261.2015.1115754?journalCode=iirp20&amp;utm_source=floridahealth.gov&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=newsroom&amp;utm_content=article&amp;url_trace_7f2r5y6=https://www.floridahealth.gov/newsroom/2022/04/20220420-gender-dysphoria-guidance.pr.html">International Review of Psychiatry</a> states that 80% of those seeking clinical care will lose their desire to identify with the non-birth sex.”
In January 2021, the news website of the Christian organization Focus on the Family was <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/christian-organization-suspended-from-twitter-after-calling-dr-rachel-levine-a-man-who-believes-he-is-a-woman/">suspended</a> from its Twitter account for saying that Levine was a biological male.
The Daily Citizen had written, &#8220;On Tuesday, President-elect Joe Biden announced that he had chosen Dr. Rachel Levine to serve as Assistant Secretary for Health at the Department of HHS. Dr. Levine is a transgender woman, that is, a man who believes he is a woman.&#8221;
In March 2022, Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/twitter-locks-out-babylon-bee-over-rachel-levine-tweet-the-bee-responds-truth-is-not-hate-speech/">posted a screenshot</a> of a USA Today article naming Levine as one of its “Women of the Year,” then tweeted, “Rachel Levine is a man.” Twitter flagged the tweet as being “hateful.” Days later, the satiric website The Babylon Bee was suspended from Twitter after naming Levine its “Man of the Year.”
The Babylon Bee article stated, “Levine is the U.S. assistant secretary for health for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where he serves proudly as the first man in that position to dress like a western cultural stereotype of a woman. He is also an admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. What a boss! &#8230; Rachel&#8217;s message is to ‘be true to yourself,’ and we couldn&#8217;t agree more. This man is breaking barriers and showing us all the true meaning of courage.”
Elon Musk, a fan of The Babylon Bee,<a href="https://dailywire.com/news/babylon-bee-a-factor-in-musk-buying-twitter-issues-tweet-satirizing-twitter-employee-undergoing-therapy-twitter-labels-tweet-with-warning/"> contacted</a> the Bee’s CEP Seth Dillon  after its suspension, and reportedly told Dillon “that he might need to buy Twitter.”

Rachel Levine

Biden’s Highest Ranking Transgender Official Says Medical Professionals Unanimously Agree About Value Of ‘Gender-Affirming Care’

Heart of Human Services' Rachel Levine claims doctors unanimous about virtue of gender-affirming care

Babylon Bee

Children

Transgender

Twitter

In a supposed effort to increase equity in healthcare, the state of Illinois is expanding a government-backed healthcare initiative to cover aging illegal aliens&#8217; healthcare in a number of different areas including hospital visits, physical therapy, and prescription drugs, among other coverage.
The Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors program began in 2020 for those age 65 or older, regardless of immigration status.
Now, the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services announced that the program will be available to those ages 55 to 64, including illegal aliens. Starting July 1, the program will be expanded even further to include individuals between the ages of 42 and 55.
&#8220;Implementing more equitable health care coverage across the state is central to (the) mission, which means increasing access to quality health care choices for all Illinois residents, regardless of their immigration status,&#8221; Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services Director Theresa Eagleson <a href="https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/State-launches-health-care-coverage-for-older-17085731.php">told</a> MyJournalCourier.com.
&#8220;Amid a pandemic that has disproportionately affected older adults and people of color, efforts to remove barriers and create a more equitable health care system are more important than ever,&#8221; she added.
The state agency is quite boastful that taxpayers will now be footing the bill for illegal immigrants.
Assistant Director Jenny Aguirre <a href="https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/State-launches-health-care-coverage-for-older-17085731.php">told the website</a>, &#8220;Immigrant families face many challenges in their lives and to know that their loved one may now have access to health care services will give families hope for a better quality of life in the state they’ve chosen as their home.&#8221;
&#8220;Everyone deserves to have a healthier future,&#8221; Aguirre added.
The announcement comes as the state of Illinois is <a href="https://www.usdebtclock.org/state-debt-clocks/state-of-illinois-debt-clock.html">more than $166 billion</a> in debt. Illinois was the first state in the country to create such a program, but New York recently crafted a similar program for elderly illegal immigrants.
The New York Post recently <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/04/11/nyers-buy-medicaid-for-illegal-migrants-in-hochul-dems-budget/">reported</a>  that New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D-NY) recently signed a 2022-2023 budget that contains a provision that &#8220;allows up to 20,000 elderly residents living here illegally to apply for Medicaid, the public health insurance program for the needy that served more than 7 million residents during the height of the coronavirus pandemic.&#8221;
In New York, critics of that initiative have argued it will only encourage more illegal immigration.
“It’s a slippery slope. New York disincentivizes people from ever becoming citizens. New York blurs the distinction. We should not be rewarding people who are not following the rules,”  State Sen. George Borello told the Post.
In Illinois, residents must meet the following eligibility requirements to receive healthcare according to My Journal Courier:
<ul>
<li>
<blockquote>Being between the ages of 55 and 64</blockquote>
</li>
<li>
<blockquote>Being an undocumented immigrant or a legal permanent resident of the United States for less than five years</blockquote>
</li>
<li>
<blockquote>Having an annual household income of $18,754 or less for one person or $25,268 or less for two people</blockquote>
</li>
</ul>

Illegal immigrants

Illinois Expanding Taxpayer-Funded Illegal Alien Healthcare Program

Health Care

Illegal Immigration

Illinois

Immigrants

New York

On Thursday, two of President Joe Biden’s administration departments released a seemingly coordinated series of documents that endorsed gender reassignment surgery and hormone treatments for children.
The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Population Affairs released a <a href="https://opa.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/2022-03/gender-affirming-care-young-people-march-2022.pdf">two-page document</a> titled, “Gender-Affirming Care and Young People.”
“Gender-affirming care is a supportive form of healthcare. It consists of an array of services that may include medical, surgical, mental health, and non-medical services for transgender and nonbinary people,” the document explained. “For transgender and nonbinary children and adolescents, early gender-affirming care is crucial to overall health and well-being as it allows the child or adolescent to focus on social transitions and can increase their confidence while navigating the healthcare system.”
The document then argued that “gender-affirming care improves the mental health and overall well-being of gender diverse children and adolescents.”
Forms of affirming care listed by the document include “puberty blockers” to “pause pubertal development” (which the department claims to be reversible), “hormone therapy” (which the department claims to be partially reversible), and forms of “gender-affirming surgeries.” These include “top surgery” to “create male-typical chest shape or enhance breasts,” “bottom surgery,” which is “surgery on genitals or reproductive organs,” as well as “facial feminization or other procedures.”
However, as discussed by <a href="https://www.heritage.org/gender/commentary/transitioning-procedures-dont-help-mental-health-largest-dataset-shows">The Heritage Foundation</a>, &#8220;The largest dataset on sex-reassignment procedures — both hormonal and surgical — reveals that such procedures do not bring the promised mental health benefits.&#8221;
The Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration&#8217;s National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) also released a <a href="https://www.nctsn.org/sites/default/files/resources/fact-sheet/gender-affirming-care-is-trauma-informed-care.pdf">document</a>, titled, “Gender-Affirming Care Is Trauma-Informed Care.”
“Major medical associations recognize gender-affirming care as the standard of care for transgender, gender diverse, and intersex (TGI) youth. Gender-affirming care broadly refers to creating an environment that facilitates youth to move through the world safely as the gender they know themselves to be,” the five-page document begins. “This includes developmentally appropriate, evidence-based care provided by medical and mental health experts in partnership with youth, parents, and caregivers. It may include evidence-based interventions such as puberty blockers and gender-affirming hormones. Gender-affirming care also includes access to opportunities that all children should have, such as playing team sports, safely using bathrooms in their schools and other public places, and positive relationships with supportive adults.”
The NCTSN then asserted that “There is no scientifically sound research showing negative impacts from providing gender-affirming care.”
However, in the correction to the previously-referenced study discussed by The Heritage Foundation, patients who had reassignment surgeries had worse outcomes regarding anxiety disorders than those who did not:
<blockquote>&#8230;individuals diagnosed with gender incongruence who had received gender-affirming surgery were more likely to be treated for anxiety disorders compared with individuals diagnosed with gender incongruence who had not received gender-affirming surgery.</blockquote>
Later in the NCTSN document, readers are then directed to “help keep TGI youth safe by expressing your support and acceptance and finding ways to partner with others to create affirming and supportive environments,” with a list of “practical suggestions.” These include:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Take responsibility for your own knowledge and understanding of gender diversity by staying up-to-date on evidence-based research and best practice, attending trainings, and reading work by transgender and gender diverse writers to understand more about the language and experiences of TGI youth.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Believe and validate youth when they share their gender identities with you, by always using and validating the names, pronouns, and identities that youth share with you, even if those change while they are exploring their identities.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Prioritize using resources created by transgender and gender diverse experts by identifying and connecting with transgender and gender diverse providers and organizations- nationally and in your community as partners and trainers.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Create space for youth to explore the fullness of their gender and other cultural identities without fear of judgment or harm.</li>
</ul>
Ian Haworth is a writer for The Daily Wire and contributor to Morning Wire. Follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/ighaworth">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ighaworth">Facebook</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/IanGHaworth">YouTube</a>.

Biden and Harris

Biden HHS Departments Endorse ‘Top Surgery’ And Hormone Treatments For Transgender Children, Claim ‘No Scientifically Sound Research Showing Negative Impacts’

Gender Identity

President Joe Biden&#8217;s administration warned Wednesday that it will take &#8220;immediate action if needed&#8221; to protect children involved in transgender surgery procedures.
Both the White House and Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra issued statements Wednesday evening condemning Governor Greg Abbott (R-TX)&#8217;s <a href="https://gov.texas.gov/uploads/files/press/O-MastersJaime202202221358.pdf">direction</a> to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services to investigate the parents of children who have undergone “so-called ‘sex change’ procedures.”
&#8220;This is government overreach at its worst,&#8221; Biden said in a statement. &#8220;Like so many anti-transgender attacks proliferating in states across the country, the Governor’s actions callously threaten to harm children and their families just to score political points.
&#8220;These actions are terrifying many families in Texas and beyond,&#8221; he added. &#8220;And they must stop.&#8221;
Becerra promised that HHS is &#8220;committed to protecting young Americans who are targeted because of their sexual orientation or gender identity&#8221; and said that he has directed HHS to &#8220;evaluate the tools at our disposal to protect trans and gender diverse youth in Texas.&#8221;
Harnessing the phrase &#8220;<a href="https://dailycaller.com/2021/06/14/walt-heyer-lgbtq-transgender/">gender affirming medical care</a>,&#8221; a phrase which activists and liberal media use to describe sex change surgery or gender transition surgery, Becerra promised that “HHS will take immediate action if needed&#8221; to protect transgender youth.
&#8220;I know that many youth and their supportive families are feeling scared and isolated because of these attacks,&#8221; he said. &#8220;HHS is closely monitoring the situation in Texas, and will use every tool at our disposal to keep Texans safe.&#8221;
Abbott had warned that &#8220;it is already against the law to subject Texas children to a wide variety of elective procedures for gender transitioning, including reassignment surgeries that can cause sterilization, mastectomies, removals of otherwise healthy body parts, and administration of puberty-blocking drugs or supraphysiologic doses of testosterone or estrogen.&#8221;
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The governor warned that Texas law requires all licensed professionals with direct contact with children &#8220;who may be subject to such abuse&#8221; to report such abuse, noting that &#8220;there are similar reporting requirements and criminal penalties for members of the general public.&#8221;
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“The Texas government’s attacks against transgender youth and those who love and care for them are discriminatory and unconscionable,&#8221; Becerra&#8217;s statement said. &#8220;These actions are clearly dangerous to the health of transgender youth in Texas. At HHS, we listen to medical experts and doctors, and they agree with us, that access to affirming care for transgender youth is essential and can be life-saving.&#8221;
One tool that HHS plans to use is the Office for Civil Rights, Becerra said.
“Any individual or family in Texas who is being targeted by a child welfare investigation because of this discriminatory gubernatorial order is encouraged to contact our Office for Civil Rights to report their experience.”
HHS is also releasing guidance to child welfare agencies encouraging them to &#8220;advance safety and support&#8221; for LGBTQ youth, the HHS secretary said, noting that this specifically includes access to &#8220;gender affirming care.&#8221;
The department is also releasing guidance stating that health care providers are not required to disclose &#8220;private patient information related to gender affirming care&#8221; and guidance stating that doctors cannot deny health care based on gender identity.
&#8220;If you believe that you or another party has been discriminated against on the basis of gender identity or disability in seeking to access gender affirming health care, visit the OCR complaint portal to file a complaint online,&#8221; Becerra said.
Biden emphasized that HHS&#8217;s actions are &#8220;putting the state of Texas on notice that their discriminatory actions put children’s lives at risk.&#8221;
&#8220;These announcements make clear that rather than weaponizing child protective services against loving families, child welfare agencies should instead expand access to gender-affirming care for transgender children,&#8221; Biden said.
The president added that &#8220;Respected medical organizations have said that access to gender-affirming care for transgender children can benefit mental health, lower suicide rates, and improve other health outcomes,&#8221; and insisted that families and doctors should &#8220;have the freedom to make the medical decisions that are best for each young person.&#8221;
&#8220;In the United States of America, we respect the rights and dignity of all families,&#8221; said Biden. &#8220;Transgender children bring fulfillment to their parents, joy to their friends, and are made in the image of God.&#8221;
&#8220;Affirming a transgender child’s identity is one of the best things a parent, teacher, or doctor can do to help keep children from harm, and parents who love and affirm their children should be applauded and supported, not threatened, investigated, or stigmatized,&#8221; he added.
During Tuesday evening&#8217;s State of the Union, President Joe Biden also urged lawmakers to enact the radically progressive Equality Act, criticizing the “onslaught of state laws targeting transgender Americans and their families.”
“As I said last year, especially to our younger transgender Americans, I’ll always have your back as your president so you can be yourself and reach your God-given potential,” Biden added.
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Screen Shot 2022-03-02 at 8.52.22 PM

Biden Administration Threatens Texas Over Trans Kids: ‘HHS Will Take Immediate Action If Needed’

In recent days, a debate has surfaced between The Washington Free Beacon and the Biden administration, regarding the accuracy of a claim made by the media outlet that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) could have paid for crack pipes to be distributed to drug addicts as part of a &#8220;Harm Reduction Program.&#8221;
In order to determine whether the Biden administration&#8217;s program would have or could have allowed for crack pipes to be distributed, I submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request on February 9.
Here is everything you need to know about the &#8220;crack pipe&#8221; saga:
February 7 — Deadline for Harm Reduction Program grant applications
Applications were due on February 7, 2022, for Harm Reduction Program grants through the HHS’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
“The purpose of the program is to support community-based overdose prevention programs, syringe services programs, and other harm reduction services,” the <a href="https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/grants/pdf/fy22-harm-reduction-nofo.pdf#page=8">program</a> explains. The estimated total funding available is $29.25 million over 3 years, with an estimated 25 awards of up to $400,000 per year available. Projects have an anticipated award date of May 15, 2022, and an anticipated start date of May 30, 2022.
Equipment and supplies to “enhance harm reduction efforts” are listed to include “safe smoking kits/supplies,” and “syringes to prevent and control the spread of infectious diseases.”
“Harm reduction programs that use federal funding must adhere to federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and other requirements related to such programs or services,” the program added.
February 7 — The Washington Free Beacon Report
The Washington Free Beacon first published an <a href="https://freebeacon.com/biden-administration/biden-admin-to-fund-crack-pipe-distribution-to-advance-racial-equity/">article</a> titled, “Biden Admin To Fund Crack Pipe Distribution To Advance ‘Racial Equity.’”
“The Biden administration is set to fund the distribution of crack pipes to drug addicts as part of its plan to advance &#8220;racial equity,’” the article claimed. According to the outlet, they confirmed with a spokesman for HHS that “smoking kits/supplies” would — at least in part — “provide pipes for users to smoke crack cocaine, crystal methamphetamine, and ‘any illicit substance.’”
For additional context, existing “smoking kit” programs in cities such as <a href="https://foxbaltimore.com/news/local/crack-pipes-is-where-we-draw-the-line-safe-smoking-kits-draw-backlash-in-aaco">Annapolis</a>, <a href="https://www.nhregister.com/news/article/New-Haven-police-to-distribute-crack-pipes-15035802.php">New Haven</a>, <a href="https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/sf-group-handing-out-free-crack-pipe-kits-expects-to-expand/">San Francisco,</a> and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-drugs-seattle/largest-u-s-needle-exchange-tries-free-meth-pipes-in-seattle-idUSKBN0NZ11U20150514">Seattle</a> all include smoking pipes.
February 8 — Snopes Fact-Check
Fact-checking organization, Snopes, published a <a href="https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/biden-crack-pipes-racial-equity/">fact-check</a> titled, “Did Biden Admin ‘Fund Crack Pipes’ To ‘Advance Racial Equity’?” The article <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mostly-false-free-crack-pipes-how-fact-checkers-debunked-reality-again">initially</a> determined that the claim,​​ “[i]n early 2022, the Biden administration endeavored to advance racial equity by distributing crack pipes to drug users,” was “Mostly False.”
This rating was based on the argument that while “[i]n 2022, a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services substance abuse harm reduction grant did require recipients to provide safer smoking kits to existing drug users,&#8221; and that &#8220;[i]n distributing grants, priority would be given to applicants serving historically underserved communities,” this program was “just one of around 20 components of the grant program and far from its most prominent or important one, despite being the primary focus of outraged news reports.”
“The purpose of the program was to reduce harm and the risk of infection among drug users, not to advance racial equity, although that was a secondary consideration,” Snopes added.
Snopes then updated the fact-check with the rating, “Outdated,” because of a later stipulation by HHS that “federal funding would not be used to include pipes in safe smoking kits.”
February 8 — Lead Stories Fact-Check
Facebook fact-checking partner, Lead Stories, then published a <a href="https://leadstories.com/hoax-alert/2022/02/fact-check-biden-administration-is-not-funding-crack-pipes-heroin-for-drug-use.html">fact-check</a> titled, “Fact Check: Biden Administration Is NOT Funding &#8216;Crack Pipes, Heroin&#8217; For Drug Use.”
The fact-check included an email to Lead Stories from a HHS spokesperson, who described the crack pipe claim as “misleading and misinformed”:
<blockquote>&#8220;Evidence-based community harm reduction services such as naloxone, fentanyl test strips, and syringe services programs help people stay alive and are proven strategies for addressing this tragic epidemic. The Harm Reduction Grant Program offered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is designed to put these services within reach for Americans who are struggling with substance use so they can stay healthy and safe, avoid overdose death, and find pathways into evidence-based treatments.&#8221;</blockquote>
The fact-check referenced Sarah Lovenheim, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at HHS. She responded to Sec. Marco Rubio’s February 8 comments, describing them as “blatant misinformation.”
“The Harm Reduction grant is designed to help folks struggling with substance use stay healthy and safe, prevent overdose death. The grants must stick to federal, state, local laws or regs,” she tweeted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Blatant misinformation. The Harm Reduction grant is designed to help folks struggling with substance use stay healthy and safe, prevent overdose death. The grants must stick to federal, state, local laws or regs. <a href="https://t.co/HXRCrEM3tD">https://t.co/HXRCrEM3tD</a>
&mdash; Sarah Lovenheim (@HHS_Spox) <a href="https://twitter.com/HHS_Spox/status/1491071549558124545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Later that afternoon, Lovenheim refuted the claims again, this time responding to Sen. Tom Cotton.
“To be clear: HHS is not distributing crack pipes. The grants fund harm reduction efforts by organizations, in full adherence of state and local laws,” Lovenheim tweeted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
To be clear: HHS is not distributing crack pipes. The grants fund harm reduction efforts by organizations, in full adherence of state and local laws. <a href="https://t.co/mCHlh5sqPf">https://t.co/mCHlh5sqPf</a>
&mdash; Sarah Lovenheim (@HHS_Spox) <a href="https://twitter.com/HHS_Spox/status/1491163603084640257?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2022</a></blockquote>
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February 9 — HHS press release
Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and the Office of National Drug Control Policy Director Dr. Rahul Gupta released a <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2022/02/09/statement-hhs-secretary-xavier-becerra-and-ondcp-director-rahul-gupta.html">statement</a>:
<blockquote>“HHS and ONDCP are focused on using our resources smartly to reduce harm and save lives. Accordingly, no federal funding will be used directly or through subsequent reimbursement of grantees to put pipes in safe smoking kits. The goal of harm reduction is to save lives. The Administration is focused on a comprehensive strategy to stop the spread of drugs and curb addiction, including prioritizing the use of proven harm reduction strategies like providing naloxone, fentanyl test strips, and clean syringes, as well as taking decisive actions to go after violent criminals who are trafficking illicit drugs like fentanyl across our borders and into our communities. We will continue working to address the addiction and overdose epidemic and ensure that our resources are used in the smartest and most efficient manner.”</blockquote>
February 9 — Jen Psaki rejects report
Speaking with reporters, White House press secretary Jen Psaki <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jen-psaki-says-crack-pipe-plans-are-false-smoking-kits-contain-alcohol-swabs-lip-balm-other-materials">refuted</a> the accuracy of the initial report.
“HHS just put out a statement clarifying around some of the reports that crack pipes are not going to be part of the safe smoking kits funded by the administration,” Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich <a href="https://twitter.com/CurtisHouck/status/1491484579965853698">asked</a>. “But can you clarify for us, were they never a part of the kit, or were they removed in response to this reporting and this pushback?”
“They were never a part of the kit. It was inaccurate reporting and we wanted to put out information to make that clear,” Psaki responded.
Psaki then went on to state that “[Safe Smoking Kits] may contain alcohol swabs, lip balm, other materials to promote hygiene and reduce the transmission of diseases like HIV and hepatitis.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Psaki on <a href="https://twitter.com/PatrickHauf?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PatrickHauf</a>&#39;s <a href="https://twitter.com/FreeBeacon?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FreeBeacon</a> story about crack pipes: &quot;They were never a part of the kit. It was inaccurate reporting and we wanted to put out information to make that clear.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/4oUBM9MQQ7">pic.twitter.com/4oUBM9MQQ7</a>
&mdash; Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) <a href="https://twitter.com/CurtisHouck/status/1491485916808065031?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2022</a></blockquote>
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February 9 — The Washington Free Beacon doubles down
On the evening of February 9, The Washington Free Beacon <a href="https://freebeacon.com/biden-administration/biden-admin-says-pipes-not-included-in-taxpayer-funded-crack-smoking-kits/">reported</a> on the events listed above, following their initial article.
“An HHS spokesman initially confirmed to the Free Beacon that the kits provided through the grant program were designed to smoke crack cocaine, crystal methamphetamine, as well as ‘any illicit substance,’” The Free Beacon reiterated. “After publication of a report on the funding, HHS backtracked in a Tuesday statement that labeled the story ‘blatant misinformation.’ When asked to explain what part of the story was incorrect, a spokesman said the story is ‘misleading and misinformed’ but declined to provide any information to refute the report.”
The report also noted that the Harm Reduction Grant program document does not explain what is and is not included in a funded “smoking kit.”
“[A]n HHS spokesman told the Free Beacon that it &#8220;does not specify the kits&#8217; elements&#8221; but &#8220;only the parameters,” the outlet added. “The stated parameters in the government grant are any ‘equipment and supplies’ that ‘enhance harm reduction efforts,’ and ‘smoking kits’ are included as eligible equipment.
&#8220;Unsafe smoking practices can lead to open sores, burns and cuts on the lips, and can increase the risk of infection among people who smoke drugs,&#8221; said HHS spokesman Chris Garrett, according to the Free Beacon. &#8220;Safe smoking kits have been identified to reduce the spread of disease.&#8221;
February 9 — Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request submitted
The core issue at the center of this story is whether or not the initial claim — that the Biden administration&#8217;s Harm Reduction Grant program would have or could have allowed for crack pipes to be distributed — is true. 
The Washington Free Beacon has defended their initial report, in which they claim an HHS spokesperson admitted that the program would “provide pipes for users to smoke crack cocaine, crystal methamphetamine, and ‘any illicit substance.’”
This clearly conflicts with the latest messaging from the Biden administration, including the February 9 press release and the comments made by White House press secretary Jen Psaki.
In order to determine whether crack pipes were explicitly or implicitly permitted as part of this program prior to the Washington Free Beacon report, a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted on February 9.
This asked the Department of Health and Human Services — Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to provide “[a]ll internal and external communications from January 20th, 2021 until present (including memos and emails)” which mentioned any of the following:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Pipe or pipes</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Glass pipe or glass pipes</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Crack, crack cocaine, or crack pipe</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Smoking kit</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Harm Reduction Program grant.</li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
1/x: Yesterday, the Biden admin rejected a <a href="https://twitter.com/FreeBeacon?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FreeBeacon</a> report that <a href="https://twitter.com/HHSGov?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HHSGov</a> would fund the distribution of crack pipes to drug addicts as part of a safe smoking kit.
Last night, I submitted an FOIA request to find out the truth.
Here&#39;s a brief timeline of this issue: <a href="https://t.co/Bm4Hm4SGLa">pic.twitter.com/Bm4Hm4SGLa</a>
&mdash; Ian Haworth (@ighaworth) <a href="https://twitter.com/ighaworth/status/1491857699415511044?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2022</a></blockquote>
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When a response is received, an update will be provided.
Ian Haworth is an Editor and Writer for The Daily Wire. Follow him on Twitter at<a href="https://twitter.com/ighaworth"> @ighaworth</a>.
The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Would The Biden Administration Have Paid For Crack Pipes? Let’s Find Out

Crack

Jen Psaki

A Government Accountability Office (GAO) <a href="https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-22-104453#summary_recommend">report</a> released Wednesday stated that it’s unsure if the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is ready to completely take over COVID-19 vaccine-related work.
Since the launch of Operation Warp Speed by the Trump administration in 2020, HHS has partnered with the Department of Defense (DOD) to oversee the development, manufacturing, and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines. The joint effort of both departments was called the Countermeasures Acceleration Group (CAG). At the beginning of this year, HHS took over sole responsibility for the work.
According to the GAO, HHS has “assessed its workforce capabilities” but has yet to address “the loss of DOD officials with specialized skills.”
“While HHS and DOD officials said they achieved transition milestones indicating that HHS is ready to assume responsibilities formerly led by DOD, it is unclear how HHS will address its workforce needs now that the CAG has dissolved,” the report read. “Specifically, GAO found that HHS has assessed its workforce capabilities, but lacks strategies for addressing these workforce needs.”
The GAO report recommended that the DOD continue to aid HHS in its responsibilities. It also recommended that HHS create a better schedule to plan for actions and prepare for delays. 
“By formally providing its support until HHS develops and implements these strategies, DOD can help ensure that HHS can continue these responsibilities uninterrupted, including responsibilities for addressing ongoing vaccine needs for boosters or for any emerging COVID-19 variants,” GAO said. “Moreover, HHS does not have a schedule that is consistent with best practices to help it manage remaining vaccine-related activities. Such a schedule could help HHS better plan actions and mitigate delays, and be a source for identifying lessons learned for any future pandemics.”
The report also recommended that HHS expand the lessons-learned review started by the CAG and add input from “external stakeholders,” such as vaccine companies and other government agencies. 
Last year, HHS was the center of controversy after being accused of downplaying COVID-19 outbreaks among migrant children. In July, whistleblowers alleged HHS members of minimizing the COVID-19 outbreak at children’s migrant shelters. 
The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/whistleblowers-accuse-bidens-hhs-efforts-made-to-downplay-the-degree-of-covid-infection-at-migrant-children-site">reported</a> on the whistleblower complaints which stated, “At a ‘town hall’ meeting with detailees, a senior U.S. Public Health Service manager was asked and refused to say how many were infected because ‘if that graph [of infections] is going to The Washington Post every day, it’s the only thing we’ll be dealing with and politics will take over, perception will take over, and we’re about reality, not perception.’ All the manager would acknowledge is that several children had to be hospitalized. The manager also dismissed a detailee’s concern that the children in the COVID tents were wearing basic disposable masks instead of N95 masks. The manager said N95 masks were unnecessary for the infected – even though uninfected detailees were working with the infected children.”
The GAO report on HHS capabilities to oversee vaccine distribution comes as the CEOs of both Pfizer and Moderna push for a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pfizer-ceo-initial-two-dose-vaccine-not-enough-for-omicron">fourth booster</a> shot for the Omicron variant. 
“Omicron is a way more challenging target, so the two doses are not enough for Omicron,” Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said last week. “The third dose of the current vaccine is providing good protection against death and decent protection against hospitalization. So, most of the people that they are ending up in hospital [with Omicron] aren’t vaccinated. They are not people that they had the vaccine.”

A doctor in medical protective gloves takes a medicine or vaccine from a glass ampoule into a syringe. concept of treatment and prevention of spread of covid-19 infection, virus and pneumonia.

‘Unclear Whether HHS Is Ready To Assume All Responsibilities’ Of COVID Vax-Related Work, GAO Report Says

COVID-19 Vaccine

President Joe Biden&#8217;s Health and Human Services Department reversed a Trump administration ban on allowing abortion-referring clinics like Planned Parenthood to access funds through Title X, restoring abortion providers&#8217; access to millions in federal grants.
HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra announced the change on Tuesday, noting that the prohibition is set to lift on November 8th.
&#8220;Today more than ever, we are making clear that access to quality family planning care includes accurate information and referrals — based on a patient’s needs and direction,&#8221; Becerra said in a statement.
Title X is a federal grant program &#8220;dedicated solely to providing individuals with comprehensive family planning and related preventive health services,&#8221; according to the HHS website.
&#8220;The [Trump] rule allowed clinics that received federal funds to offer lists of primary care providers, including those that provide prenatal care, but they could not identify which performed abortions. It also required &#8216;physical and financial separation&#8217; between family planning and abortion services at places that offered both,&#8221; the New York Times said, noting that the rule was aimed at providers for whom the funds could be fungible &#8212; that is, go to offset other costs, allowing abortion providers to spend more of their budget on abortion services, even as they were unable to receive direct taxpayer funding.
When then-President Donald Trump&#8217;s HHS ruled that groups like Planned Parenthood, who received nearly 40% of Title X patients, would be barred from referring pregnant women for abortions, abortion providers largely withdrew from the program.
The change marked a &#8220;significant shift&#8221; for the group, according to <a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/08/19/752438119/planned-parenthood-out-of-title-x-over-trump-rule">National Public Radio</a>.
&#8220;Planned Parenthood&#8217;s withdrawal from the $286 million federal program represents a significant shift in the way the family planning program operates,&#8221; the outlet noted during the Trump administration. &#8220;The organization has been involved in the program since its inception, and officials say it serves about 40% of the nation&#8217;s 4 million Title X recipients, who receive services such as contraception and STD screenings.&#8221;
Planned Parenthood and others challenged the rule in court but lost.
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&#8220;President Biden signaled shortly after taking office that he intended to rescind the Trump-era rule, writing in a memorandum calling for action on women’s health issues that it put &#8216;women’s health at risk by making it harder for women to receive complete medical information,’” <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/04/us/politics/abortion-biden-trump.html">The New York Times reported Tuesday</a>.
Planned Parenthood called the rule reversal “a major victory for patients, access to sexual and reproductive health care, and health equity,&#8221; and called the grant program a &#8220;critical piece of our social safety net that can, and should, ensure that people with low incomes can access essential health care without forcing providers to withhold referrals for all of the options available to them.&#8221;
The group still suggested, however, that the Biden administration&#8217;s HHS did not go far enough, because it allows “objecting individuals and grantees&#8221; &#8212; presumably crisis pregnancy centers and other religious organizations that provide women&#8217;s health services &#8212; not to refer patients to abortion providers.
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Biden Reverses Ban On Sending Title X Federal Funds To ‘Abortion-Referring’ Clinics

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