Washington, DC – The National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) Action Fund led 60 organizations in urging the Senate to oppose Donald Trump’s nominee for Inspector General (IG), March Bell, for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ahead of his committee vote today in the Senate Finance Committee. Bell is also testifying today in front of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee at 10 AM.
The letter outlines Bell’s extreme agenda, along with his unethical abuse of power that led to a major misuse of taxpayer dollars in a previous role. Click here to read the letter opposing March Bell.
The letter highlights several examples that underscore Bell’s disqualifying record:
- Forced to resign after an investigation found he misused thousands of taxpayer dollars as deputy director of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.
- Led a partisan House investigationinto reproductive health care providers based on widely debunked accusations from anti-abortion groups—wasting hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars.
- Created a new and dangerous division at HHS during Trump’s first term that made it easier for providers to deny patients essential, lifesaving reproductive care and limit federal protections for gender identity.
- Tried to punish states that refused to funnel taxpayer money to deceptive anti-abortion pregnancy centers that mislead and endanger pregnant people.
“IGs are historically nonpartisan watchdogs, and HHS’s IG should be dedicated to transparency and impartiality,” the organizations wrote. “Given this history, it is difficult to believe that Mr. Bell has developed the unbiased, moral, and ethical character necessary for the role of Inspector General.”
If confirmed, Bell would have sweeping authority to advance his anti-abortion crusade—including by blocking federal funding for vital reproductive health care programs.
NWLC Action Fund and its sister organization, NWLC, are leading efforts to oppose Trump’s slew of anti-abortion nominees, including successfully forcing the Trump administration to withdraw David Weldon’s nomination for Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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