On Jan. 20, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order (Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing) requiring all federal agencies to “terminate, to the maximum extent allowed by law, all DEI, DEIA, and ‘environmental justice’ offices and positions.” By early February, HHS had deleted the Office of Climate Change and Health Equity from its website and reportedly placed its staff on administrative leave.
Background
In response to President Biden’s executive order, HHS established the Office of Climate Change and Health Equity (OCCHE) to address climate change and health equity. OCCHE is tasked with several specific actions including identifying communities who are disproportionately impacted, addressing health disparities by climate impacts, assisting with regulatory efforts to reduce GHG and criteria air emissions throughout the health care sector, and fostering innovation in climate adaptation and resilience for disadvantaged communities.