RFK Jr. Promotes Activist Who Called Abortion Pill ‘High-Risk’
This article has been republished from Autonomy News, a worker-owned publication covering reproductive rights and justice. Follow Autonomy News on Instagram, Bluesky, TikTok, Threads, and LinkedIn. An anti-abortion operative is moving up the ranks at the Department of Health and Human Services. Natalie Dodson, a contributor to Project 2025, was promoted in October to counselor in the […]
Anti-abortion operative Natalie Dodson, a contributor to Project 2025, has been promoted to a senior position at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). As the counselor in the Immediate Office of the Secretary, Dodson is now in a position to directly advise HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on programs and policy. This promotion has raised concerns among researchers and abortion providers, who are worried about her history of spreading scientific and health-related misinformation.
Prior to her role at HHS, Dodson worked at a far-right think tank, where she criticized the abortion drug mifepristone. She now serves as the acting deputy assistant secretary for population affairs, which oversees Title X, the federal family planning program. Dodson's promotion comes at a critical time, as the White House continues to explore ways to restrict abortion access despite Democrats retaking the House and Senate.
Her connection to Project 2025, a right-wing initiative, and her advocacy for the abortion pill "high-risk" have raised questions about her suitability for her new position.
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