Charmaine Yoest appointed to HHS, labeled ‘anti-abortion’ by critics

President Donald Trump on Friday named Charmaine Yoest the assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Health and Human Services, and Yoest was immediately attacked and labeled anti-abortion by the major media outlets. Yoest has been ridiculed by the left and pro-abortion movement for support of the research linking breast cancer and abortion.

“As a breast cancer survivor, the spin on abortion and breast cancer really troubles me,” she said in the NY Times article on the topic. “Why can’t you report what the research actually shows?…If you could spend time with the amazing people in AAPOLG”— the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists — “they could walk you through the data.”

pro-life poster

Yoest was on a list of Trump appointees, but appeared to be the latest lightning rod for attacks.

“She is the former president of Americans United for Life, which has been instrumental in advancing anti-abortion legislation at the state level to restrict access to the procedure,” stated the “high-cited” article by Politico who used the term “anti-abortion” in the title. (Emphasis added, the Dispatch). Their coverage then included quotes by the opposition and NOT ONE QUOTE from a pro-life perspective or supporter of the move.

“Ms. Yoest has a long record of seeking to undermine women’s access to health care and safe, legal abortion by distorting the facts, and her selection shows yet again that this administration is pandering to extreme conservatives and ignoring the millions of men and women nationwide who support women’s constitutionally protected health care rights and don’t want to go backward,” Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said in a statement.

“It is unacceptable that someone with a history of promoting myths and false information about women’s health is appointed to a government position whose main responsibility is to provide the public with accurate and factual information,” added Dawn Laguens, executive vice president of Planned Parenthood.

Forbes used the anti-abortion label and attacked the claims by AAPOLG and pro-life research groups before offering critics and opposition while CNN, usually a harsh critic of Trump, put a supporting remarks from the Speaker of the House and pro-lifer in their coverage before the critics.

Speaker Paul Ryan said the appointment demonstrated “yet again” the administration’s “commitment to the pro-life cause.”

Congrats to @CharmaineYoest on appointment as Asst Sec of @HHS. Yet again, this admin demonstrates strong commitment to the #prolife cause.

— Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) April 28, 2017

Anti-abortion leader Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List, praised Yoest as “one of the pro-life movement’s most articulate and powerful communicators.”