Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman & Judy Chu Send Letter to HHS Sec. Kennedy After Elimination of Office of Minority Health
Today, Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) and Judy Chu (CA-28) led 45 of her colleagues in sending a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. condemning the Trump Administration’s decision to eliminate the Office of Minority Health.
“We write to express our deep concern following your decision to eliminate the Office of Minority Health at the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS OMH”) and the Office of Minority Health at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS OMH”),” the Congresswoman wrote in the letter. “It is particularly unsettling that the Administration is willing to so carelessly put lives at risk by dismantling the federal offices working to reduce health disparities and improve access to care.”
“As we hope you are aware, the mission of HHS OMH is to improve the health of racial and ethnic minority populations and underserved communities, including rural communities, through the development of health policies and programs to eliminate health disparities,” the letter continues. “Let us be clear: closing down these offices will kill our country’s most vulnerable.”
The letter comes as the Trump Administration has fired thousands of workers across the Department of Health and Human Services, including food safety inspectors, infectious disease monitors, medical researchers, and Medicare and Medicaid service employees.
“Terminating offices and programs that promote addressing minority health matters endangers millions of Americans,” the letter states. “As Members of Congress, we have a duty to review and oversee how agencies are spending their funds for the betterment of the American people. We urge you to reverse this dangerous decision.”
The full letter can be found here.