Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s effort to slice the salary of Assistant Health Secretary Rachel Levine to $1 failed Wednesday.
The Georgia Republican had proposed the cut as an amendment to a budget bill, saying she sought to “castrate” the pay of Levine, an openly transgender bureaucrat who started his career as a man but now says he is a woman.
“The House rejected @RepMTG Amd’t #103 by a vote of 170-254-1 present,” the House Press Gallery posted on X.
The House rejected @RepMTG Amd’t #103 by a vote of 170-254-1 present. https://t.co/51N5dusQHb
— House Press Gallery (@HouseDailyPress) November 15, 2023
The full list of votes is available on the website of the House clerk, which has a searchable database of the votes as well as an alphabetical list of the votes.
There were 170 Republicans who voted for Greene’s amendment, but that was not enough to overcome opposition from 46 GOP members and 208 Democrats.
“My amendment uses the Holman rule (an amendment to appropriations legislation that can reduce the salary of or fire specific federal employees) to reduce, no castrate, the salary of assistant secretary for health Richard Levine to $1, the same way he supports castrating children who suffer from gender dysphoria,” Greene said in proposing the cut, according to Newsweek.
“It is our job to protect our children from sexual groomers like Levine and reducing his salary to $1 is a strong first step,” she said.
Greene labeled Levine “a diversity hire,” according to Newsweek.
Levine, Greene said, was hired “to push the demonic gender-affirming care agenda,” adding that he was “unfit” and should “never have been hired.”
“He deserves to be fired immediately,” she added. “This man is a danger to all children and shouldn’t be serving in our government.”
The White House issued a statement condemning Greene.
“It’s a hateful, dangerous, and unacceptable stunt that comes at a time when the LGBTQI+ community is under unprecedented attack,” a White House representative said, according to the Advocate.
“The Biden-Harris Administration proudly stands with Admiral Rachel Levine, assistant secretary for health, a public servant who works every day to improve the health and well-being of all Americans. We will continue to stand up and speak out against hate and intolerance in all forms,” the representative said.
Apparently there are some Republicans who think Dick Levine, a mentally ill man pretending to be a woman, deserves to keep his job as Assistant HHS Secretary.
They don’t want to fire him even though he supports the genital mutilation of children, mandating a COVID vaccine for…
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene?? (@RepMTG) November 15, 2023
In a social media post after her amendment failed, Greene wrote, “Apparently there are some Republicans who think Dick Levine, a mentally ill man pretending to be a woman, deserves to keep his job as Assistant HHS Secretary.”
The House Clerk’s website noted that a proposal from Greene to reduce the salary of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona also failed, with 165 votes in favor, 260 votes against, 1 vote of present and 13 members not voting.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
