Topic: CNSNews.com
CNSNews.com attacked Rachel Levine upon her nomination as assistant HHS secretary because she is the first transgender person to nominated to a top Cabinet post. So when Republican Sen. Rand Paul harshly questioned her during her nomination hearing, CNS' Susan Jones cheered it:
Unafraid to address the transgender issue staring lawmakers in the face, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Thursday asked Dr. Rachel Levine (nee Richard) if she believes "minors are capable of making such a life-changing decision as changing one's sex."
Levine, President Biden's nominee for assistant secretary of health, now lives as a woman.
Twice, Levine gave Sen. Paul the same rehearsed, non-answer to his question:
Actually, Paul was merely unafraid to lecture and push anti-trans talking points, and Jones transcribed every word of his harangue of Levine.Jones apparently decided that Paul's attack was too good to fact-check; had she bothered to do so, she would have learned that, contrary to Paul's assertions, current medical guidelines in the U.S. do not recommend transition-related surgeries for minors.
But when Paul got called out for his harangue, Jones pouted in an article the next day:
It is now offensive and inappropriate in the U.S. Congress for a lawmaker to question a transgender physician about her views on minor children making the decision to change their sex through hormone use and surgery.
At her confirmation hearing on Thursday, Dr. Rachel Levine, born Richard, twice refused to say whether she thinks minors are capable of making such a "life-changing decision," as Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) put it. (See below)
Later in the hearing, Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions, criticized Paul for his line of questioning:
"It is really critical to me that our nominees be treated with respect and that our questions focus on their qualifications and the work ahead of us rather than ideological and harmful misrepresentations, like those we heard from Senator Paul earlier," Murray said.
"And I will focus on that as chair of this committee. So thank you again for your response," she told Dr. Levine. "And with that, I will turn it over to Senator Murphy."
CNS rehashed Paul's hostile questioning of Levine in a March 16 article by the mysterious "A. Kim" featuring conservatives attacking the Equality Act (and deliberately misgenders Levine):
On Feb. 25, a Senate confirmation hearing was held for Dr. Rachel Levine, a transgender “woman” (biological male) nominated by President Biden to be assistant secretary of Health and Human Services. During the hearing, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), a medical doctor, questioned Levine about his left-wing views on sex-change surgery for minors, an issue that would be protected from discrimination under the Equality Act.
“Dr. Levine, you have supported both allowing minors to be given hormone blockers to prevent them from going through puberty, as well as surgical destruction of a minor's genitalia,” said Paul. “Like surgical mutilation, hormonal interruption of puberty can permanently alter and prevent secondary sexual characteristics. The American College of Pediatricians reports that 80% to 95% of pre-pubertal children with gender dysphoria will experience resolution by late adolescence if not exposed to medical intervention and social affirmation.”
“Dr. Levine, do you believe that minors are capable of making such a life-changing decision as changing one’s sex?” said Paul. Levine did not answer the question but said “transgender medicine is a very complex and nuanced field.”
Bill Donohue took a swipe at Levine in his March 29 column, justifying Paul's hostile questioning and also misgendering Levine: "Given his status, both physical and professional, it is important to know what his position on sex transitioning is."
When Levine was confirmed by the full Senate for her new job on March 24, however, CNS couldn't be bothered to do a story on it. Apparently, good news about a transgender person isn't news at all at CNS.
