Politico April 30, 2025
With help from Robert King
Driving The Day
TRANSFORMING OCR — A federal civil rights office inside HHS has shifted its focus from investigating cybersecurity breaches and protecting patient privacy to enforcing bans on diversity, equity and inclusion programs and transgender health care ordered by President Donald Trump, I report with POLITICO’s Ruth Reader.
“It’s uncharted waters for [the Office of Civil Rights],” said Melanie Fontes Rainer, who headed the office during the Biden administration. “Yes, it’s an office of law enforcement, but its primary objective is voluntary compliance. That isn’t always enforcement.”
What’s happening: Since Trump took office, OCR has begun investigations aimed at pressuring schools and health systems to stop offering supportive services and programs to transgender youth...
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