One Year In, Azar Has Lead an Anti-Reproductive Health Takeover of Trump’s Health Department
Azar’s HHS has put politics ahead of health by advancing views of radical anti-abortion lobbyists
01.29.19 – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar was sworn in one year ago today, and since he took office he has continued to empower and promote anti-abortion ideologues who consistently attack the very programs they were chosen to administer.
An HHS spokesperson told POLITICO Pulse that Azar will focus on opioids, ACA alternatives, improving quality and lowering drug prices in his second year. But in reality, Azar’s HHS has already started working on several anti-abortion measures with no sign of letting up in the future.
Azar’s shocking moves include hurting women’s health by targeting the ACA birth control mandate, pushing to finalize the domestic gag rule and moving to backtrack federal regulations around gender discrimination. Azar flaunted his membership in the anti-abortion movement when he spoke at the hate group Family Research Council’s March for Life event, calling his department a “Department of Life.”
“HHS spokespeople are desperately trying to create a narrative that sweeps Azar’s extreme record under the rug,” said Mary Alice Carter, Executive Director of Equity Forward.
“Alex Azar is transforming HHS into a satellite office of the anti-abortion movement at the expense of the health of the American public.”
Last week, Equity Forward launched HHS Watch, a comprehensive website with extensive research on nearly 50 political appointees who are hostile to reproductive health care at the Department of Health and Human Services. From HHS Secretary Alex Azar to Counselor at HHS Maggie Wynne to former Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) Director Scott Lloyd, the site provides a detailed looked at the anti-reproductive health takeover plaguing our nation’s health department.
The interactive interface of the website allows appointees to be sorted and viewed by their internal HHS offices, their ties to other anti-abortion extremists and the issues are they are undermining — allowing a comprehensive look at the agency not offered anywhere else. The site also delves into the views and influences of lesser known appointees who have incredible power in undermining access to care for people in America.
About Equity Forward
Equity Forward is a watchdog project that seeks to ensure transparency and accountability among anti-reproductive health groups and individuals. In addition to running HHSWatch.org, an extensive website with a library of research on nearly 50 political appointees at our nation's health department who are hostile to reproductive health care, Equity Forward also runs PutPeopleBeforePolitics.org, which calls on Secretary Azar not to cut nearly $100 million in lifesaving research at the behest of the anti-abortion lobby.
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