The fate of the first-ever White House Gender Policy Council is uncertain in Trump's administration
During the transition period between President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump, there has been at least some coordination on West Wing affairs
WASHINGTON (AP) — During the transition period between President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump, there has been at least some coordination on West Wing affairs. But not when it comes to Biden's Gender Policy Council, which has worked to defend reproductive health care in the face of growing restrictions.
The first-of-its kind office was an effort to drive policy that would make life better for women and girls in the U.S. and in the world. Over the past four years, it has sought to advance reproductive freedom, make pay more equitable and increase participation by women in the workforce. It was formed through an executive order by Biden in September 2021, and members of his Cabinet have representatives on the council.
It's not unusual for new presidents to remake the West Wing to suit incoming priorities, and the Trump administration hasn't said one way or the other whether the council will remain. But Project 2025, a conservative handbook written for an incoming GOP administration, has said it should be axed — in part because it promotes abortion. And Biden officials are concerned about what that might mean — particularly as reproductive health continues to worsen for some women across the nation following the fall of Roe v. Wade in 2022.
Project 2025 is a detailed, 920-page roadmap for governing, led by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. A whirlwind of hard-right ambitions, its proposals include ousting thousands of civil servants and replacing them with Trump loyalists and reversing the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of medications used in abortions. The president-elect has claimed he has never seen it, but plenty of members of his incoming administration have written sections and many of Trump’s policies align.
