HHS Secretary now able to say ‘woman’

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra is now able to say the word “woman”. 

A year ago, it was revealed that Becerra was unable to utter female-specific words during a Senate Finance Committee meeting, when Senator James Lankford (R-OK) confronted the secretary about removing the word “mother” from the HHS budget. 

“I also notice you changed a term in your budget where you shifted in places from using the term ‘mother’ to ‘birthing people’ rather than ‘mother’,” grilled Lankford. “Can you help me get a good definition of ‘birthing people?’” 

That was when Becerra found he was unable to say “mother.” 

“Well, I’ll check on the language there, but I think if we’re talking about those who give birth I think we’re talking about —” Unable to bring himself to say “mothers,” Becerra grinned, “I don’t know how else to explain it to you other than …” at which point he simply petered out, looking confused. 

The exchange continued, with Lankford pointing out to Becerra that the term “birthing people” is offensive to mothers. 

“I definitely get that; I would only say the language is important always; we don’t want to offend in our language; I get that,” Lankford said. “But would you at least admit calling a mom a ‘birthing person’ could be offensive to some moms? They don’t want to get like a ‘Happy Birthing Person’ card in May. Can you at least admit that term itself could be offensive to some moms?” 

But Becerra wouldn’t relent, instead insisting on being “precise.” 

“Senator, I’ll go back and take a look at the terminology that was used and I can get back to you, but again, if we’re trying to be precise in the language that’s used.” 

But following the Supreme Court’s bombshell 6-3 decision last week to overturn landmark case Roe v. Wade, Becerra suddenly regained the ability to refer to females as he vowed to defy the Supreme Court and make it easy for women to commit feticide. 

"This is a critical moment in history," Becerra said in a statement Tuesday. "How we respond will speak to how we view the rights, dignity and well-being of women everywhere. This is a moment of crisis in healthcare. We will leave no stone unturned. All options are on the table. We will do everything within the legal limit of the law to reach patients and support providers." 

The HHS secretary also called the ruling “despicable.” 

“Friday’s Supreme Court decision was despicable, but it was not unpredictable. HHS has been preparing for this for some time,” he said. 

Becerra also underlined freedom and bodily autonomy, despite being instrumental in enforcing vaccine mandates. 

“On Friday, June 24, five Americans decided to use the vast power bestowed upon them by our democracy and our Constitution to unconscionably put at risk the life and health of millions of our fellow Americans. They chose to unconscionably limit Americans’ established freedom and autonomy to control their own body. Decision usually made in consultation with their doctor, not a politician. And they chose to unconscionably strip away the fundamental health care protections that every American of child-bearing age has known all their lives.”