Biden Admin Replaces ‘Mother’ with ‘Birthing Person’ in Budget Proposal

President Joe Biden administration's proposed its Health and Human Services budget and the term "mother" was eliminated in favor of “birthing people” when referring to maternal health.

Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) participated in a Senate Finance Committee hearing on Thursday regarding the President’s Fiscal Year 2022 Health and Human Services Budget and questioned Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra about the change,

Lankford said during the hearing that he noticed the term changed in the HHS budget — shifting from “mother” to “birthing people," and asked Becerra to provide a good definition of “birthing people," to which Becerra said he would "check on the language."

Lankford asked if the term swaps made were a direction HHS was going, asking if regulatory changes are happening and seeking clarity on what the purpose of changing "mother" to "birthing people" was.

"I think it’s probably — and again I’d have to go back and take a look at the language that was used in the budget — but I think again it simply reflects the work that’s being done," Becerra said.

Lankford said the language is important always, but asked Becerra if he would admit that calling a mom a “birthing person” could be offensive and that mothers may not want to get a ‘Happy birthing person card’ in May.

"Can you at least admit that term itself could be offensive to some moms?" Lankford asked.

Becerra said he would have to go back and take a look a look at the terminology that was used and could get back to Lankford. He said, "but again if we’re trying to be precise in the language that’s used."

Former Fox News' Megyn Kelly, who is a mother of three, said the term mother isn't offensive.

"Mom is not an offensive word & those claiming otherwise are not the broader trans community but unhinged woke propagandists & their self-flagellating 'allies,'" she tweeted.

During the hearing, Lankford asked Becerra for an update on the request sent regarding data on the number of Unaccompanied Minors crossing the border and information relevant to the data, and asked why Becerra's office hasn't provided it so far.

He also questioned Becerra on why the department is working to eliminate the Conscience and Religious Freedom Division within the Office for Civil Rights at HHS, and questioned Becerra about federal funding for research on human-animal hybrids using fetal tissue. 

Lankford's full question and answer video can be video can be viewed here: