Dr. Rachel Levine and Cowardly Republicans

Imagine if the new assistant secretary of health was a former secretary of health in one of the few states that put Covid patients in nursing homes. Now, imagine how controversial it would be to pull your own mother out while other elderly patients were at risk. It would be unconscionable, right? How could the public trust such a person?

Well, you don’t have to imagine. Dr. Rachel Levine received 52 votes in the Senate.

I’m not terribly surprised. I heard buzz from journalists a few weeks ago that the confirmation was likely inevitable. Republicans didn’t have the guts to vote against a trans person. I hoped it was more of an opinion rather than a scoop, but optimism doesn’t pay off in the world of politics.

I went on social media and urged Republicans to return to being the party of “No.” Let the media rant and the Democrats rage. Stand against their madness, and don’t grant them an inch on bad policy or bad candidates. If Vice President Kamala Harris has to break the tie, let it be broken by them. But Republicans should not buckle to their madness.

If the pandemic wasn’t enough reason to give pause, the exchange Senator Rand Paul had with Dr. Levine should have been enough to derail his confirmation. Senator Paul asked Dr. Levine to confirm whether or not he stood for children receiving hormones and sex changes without parental consent. Democrats referred to Senator Paul as a transphobe and ignored the fact Dr. Levine opted not to answer the question twice. If someone accused you of being for genital mutilation, wouldn’t you set the record straight? Dr. Levine dodged by stating transgender health was “complex” and he’d love to talk to Senator Paul if he was confirmed.

Why would anyone confirm someone who isn’t answering important questions like this? There’s no leverage for the Senators after Levine is confirmed. Perhaps Levine figured he’d have the votes, therefore felt no obligation to answer such obviously disturbing accusations.

Now, Republican Senators Susan Collins (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) have to stand by their decision to approve a man who believes children can medically harm their bodies, and without parental consent. We must issue legitimate primary challenges. Collins and Murkowski are welcome in the big tent, but we don’t need moral cowards, who won’t stand up for children, tipping the scales of power. Democrats like Krysten Sinema and Joe Manchin, who sometimes vote against more radically progressive ideas, must also answer for this. Every time Senator Cory Booker tries to campaign in a black church, they should hold his feet to the fire.

Mitch McConnell made certain that every Republican voted “No” on the last astronomical Covid bill, but he should have held the line when it came to protecting our children from an ideologue who cares nothing for parental rights.

Wanting to cut taxes and keep spending low are admirable Republican goals (that they rarely meet), but if that’s all our leaders are good for, the Republican Party won’t have a future. This is an opportunity to gain crossover and find common ground with people who may not normally vote Republican, but feel the gender ideology is a slippery slope that’s particularly slick. This is a hill worth dying on. Republicans willing to retreat should retire and let someone braver take their place.