Washington, United States
President-elect of the United States Joe Biden appointed Rachel Levine his undersecretary of health, putting her on track to become the first transgender federal official to be confirmed by the Senate.
Levine, pediatrician and former Pennsylvania Health Director, was appointed as Secretary of State for Public Health by Democratic Governor Tom Wolf in 2017, making her one of the few transgender people in rural positions at the time.
She was confirmed for the position by the Pennsylvania Senatedominated by Republicans, and has emerged as the public face of the state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
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“The doctor Rachel Levine it will bring the strong leadership and essential experience we need for people to overcome this pandemic, regardless of their zip code, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability, ”Biden said in a statement. “She is a historic and highly qualified voice to lead our government’s health efforts.”
Graduated from Harvard and Tulane School of MedicineLevine is president of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officers. He has written articles on the opioid crisis, medical marijuana, teen drugs, nutritional issues, and drugs for the LGBTQ community.
Biden and his transition team have already begun negotiating with congressmen, promoting accelerated approval by the president-elect of a $ 1.9 trillion plan to combat the coronavirus, which has killed nearly 400,000 people in the United States.
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The plan aims to recruit federal aid workers to run massive vaccination centers and provide 100 million vaccinations in the first 100 days of its administration, as well as federal spending to boost the battered economy.
Biden goes on to say that in one of his first acts as president, he will ask Americans to wear face masks for 100 days to slow the spread of the virus.