Goal #1: The Secretary [of the Department of Health & Human Services] should pursue a robust agenda to protect the fundamental right to life, protect con­science rights, and uphold bodily integrity rooted in biological realities, not ideology.

From the moment of conception, every human being possesses inherent dignity and worth, and our humanity does not depend on our age, stage of development, race, or abilities. The Secretary must ensure that all HHS programs and activities are rooted in a deep respect for innocent human life from day one until natural death: Abortion and euthanasia are not health care.

A robust respect for the sacred rights of conscience, both at HHS and among gov­ernments and institutions funded by it, increases choices for patients and program beneficiaries and furthers pluralism and tolerance. The Secretary must protect Americans’ civil rights by ensuring that HHS programs and activities follow the letter and spirit of religious freedom and conscience-protection laws….

Excerpt from “Chapter 14: Department of Health and Human Services” by Roger Severino from Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise, Project 2025 Presidential Transition Project by The Heritage Foundation, Washington DC, USA, 2023 (p. 450)

Roger Severino is Vice President of Domestic Policy at The Heritage Founda­tion. As director of the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from 2017 to 2021, he led a team of more than 250 staff enforcing civil rights, conscience, and health information privacy laws. Roger sub­sequently founded the HHS Accountability Project at the Ethics & Public Policy Center. He holds a JD from Harvard Law School, an MA in public policy from Carnegie Mellon University, and a BA from the University of Southern California.

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LEARN MORE:

• The Hyde Amendment (1977)
• The Weldon Amendment (2009)
• Protecting Life and Taxpayers Act (Proposed 2023)