Roger Severino
Role: Author
Position: Former Director of the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Background:
Roger Severino served as the Director of the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from 2017 to 2021. Prior to joining HHS, Severino was the Director of the DeVos Center for Religion and Civil Society at the Heritage Foundation. He holds a JD from Harvard Law School, a Masters in Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University, and a BA from the University of Southern California. Currently, Severino is the Vice President of Domestic Policy at The Heritage Foundation, where he contributes to Project 2025 and continues his work on religious liberty and civil rights.
Relation to Trump:
Roger Severino served as the Director of the Office for Civil Rights at the Department of Health and Human Services from 2017 to 2021. His role was closely aligned with the Trump administration’s agenda on religious freedom and regulatory reform. Severino’s policies at HHS emphasized religious liberty and sought to revise civil rights protections in healthcare to reflect the administration’s principles.
Scandals or Controversies:
- Rollback of LGBTQ Protections: Severino’s tenure at HHS was marked by his efforts to roll back Obama-era protections for LGBTQ individuals, particularly in healthcare settings. His actions included revising the Affordable Care Act’s non-discrimination provisions, drawing significant criticism from civil rights groups who argued that these changes allowed for discrimination against transgender patients.
- Religious Liberty vs. Civil Rights: Severino’s strong emphasis on protecting religious liberties often clashed with LGBTQ rights. Critics argued that his policies effectively allowed healthcare providers to deny services based on religious beliefs, raising concerns about the balance between religious freedom and civil rights.
- Project 2025: Severino’s involvement in Project 2025, where he has authored sections related to healthcare policy, continues to draw attention. The project advocates for significant changes to healthcare regulations, including those related to abortion and transgender rights, which have been controversial within broader public policy debates.
Potential Concerns:
Severino’s work at HHS and his continued advocacy through Project 2025 focus on promoting religious liberty, often at the expense of LGBTQ rights. His policies have been a flashpoint in the debate over how civil rights should be balanced with religious freedoms in the healthcare sector.