Biden HHS pick Rachel Levine would make history as first openly transgender Senate-confirmed federal official

President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday named Pennsylvania Health Secretary Rachel Levine to be his assistant secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), a nominee who could make history by becoming the first openly transgender Senate-confirmed federal official.

“Dr. Rachel Levine will bring the steady leadership and essential expertise we need to get people through this pandemic — no matter their zip code, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability — and meet the public health needs of our country in this critical moment and beyond,” Biden said in a statement.

“She is a historic and deeply qualified choice to help lead our administration’s health efforts,” he added.

Levine is a physician and professor of pediatrics and psychiatry at the Penn State College of Medicine and has been leading the state’s response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. She was confirmed three times by the Republican-controlled Pennsylvania state Senate.