According to multiple sources, the White House and Health Secretary Xavier Becerra are working to restructure the Department of Health and Human Services ahead of the midterm elections, having removed several deputies and promoted other officials to stabilize the department, which has been turbulent due to internal conflicts and controversial statements. Jim O’Neill, who previously served as Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services and also acted as Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), will step down from both positions. Meanwhile, Chris Klomp, who was in charge of the Medicare program, will become the new chief legal counsel of the Department of Health and Human Services and oversee its daily operations. Additionally, several assistant officials have been promoted to new senior positions, including John Brooks, an official from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. It is reported that O’Neill will be appointed to an ambassadorial position. As the midterm elections approach, Becerra has begun to shift his policy focus toward more popular issues such as healthy food, rather than emphasizing the controversial vaccination agenda. After a series of widely publicized controversies, the White House had already started considering restructuring the leadership of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services last year. These controversies included internal conflicts within the Food and Drug Administration, controversial vaccine decisions, and repeated miscommunications in policy information.
Image source: Internet
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1857083575704395/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.