Deputy HHS Secretary Jim O’Neill and Assistant Secretary for Health Dr. Brian Christine spoke at the “National Pro-Life Summit” hosted by Students for Life, a prominent anti-abortion organization. Both O’Neill and Christine spoke in their professional capacity as representatives of the Trump administration’s HHS and announced anti-reproductive rights and health initiatives and policies including the State Department’s expansion of the Global Gag Rule, the National Institutes of Health’s ban on research using fetal tissue, and numerous enforcement actions from HHS’ Office for Civil Rights aimed at limiting access to abortion and other reproductive health care. 

O’Neill also reiterated that FDA Commissioner Martin Makary is “committed to post market surveillance of mifepristone,” citing a thoroughly debunked, self-published paper from a far right think tank as justification for the initiative.