Biden’s HHS Sec. Fails To Explain Why He Changed Term “Mother” To “Birthing People” In Budget Request

Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra was challenged by Oklahoma GOP Senator James Lankford on the exclusion of the word “mother” and the introduction of the language “birthing people” at a Senate Finance Committee hearing on the Biden administration’s fiscal year 2022 HHS budget request.

When Lankford asked for a solid explanation of “birthing people,” Becerra couldn’t utter the term “mother,” instead smirking and saying, “I don’t know how else to explain it to you other than” before his voice faded.

“At your nomination hearing, you and I talked about the conscience and freedom, and freedom and faith, all those protections that are there,” Lankford said before the confrontation.

I was surprised to see the language in the budget; it stripped out much of that language that had existed in previous budgets about freedom of conscience, freedom of religion. And it also seems that you’re eliminating the Conscience and Religious Freedom Division. Is that true? In your budget, are you eliminating the Conscience and Religious Freedom Division?” Lankford added.

“We’re going to continue to do the work to protect the religious, civil, constitutional rights of all Americans under HHS’ purview, and we are going to be a solid organization through the Office of Civil Rights that we have to make sure we’re protecting everyone’s rights, including religious conscience rights,” Becerra defended.

“But you’re taking away that division as a priority and putting it under something else or where is it going?” Lankford asked.

“It continues to function; the work continues to be functioning under the Offices of Civil Rights,” Becerra claimed.

Lankford later overwhelmed Becerra on the exclusion of the word “mother,” saying “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.’ Can you help me get a good definition of ‘birthing people?’”

“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,” Becerra dodged the defining.

Becerra smirked, unable to mention “mother,” and said, “I don’t know how else to explain it to you other than…” as his voice trailed off.

“I was a little taken aback when I just read it and saw it that the term ‘mother’ was gone and it was replaced with ‘birthing people” and I didn’t know if this was a direction you were going, if there were shifts, if there were regulatory changes that are happening related to that or what the purpose of that is,” Lankford stated.

“I think it’s probably — and again I’d have to go back and take a look at the language that was used in the budget, but I think it simply reflects the work that is being done,” Becerra avoided to answer.

“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, 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?” Lankford continued.

“Senator, I’ll go back and 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 was used,” Becerra laughed while responding.

“Mom’s a pretty good word. That’s worked for a while and I think that’s pretty precise as well,” Lankford responded back.

Watch Senator James Lankford question Biden’s HHS Sec. On Changing “Mother” to Birthing Person: