Health and Human Services Secretary
Following her defeat, Heckler turned down several government jobs — including as an assistant NASA administrator — before Reagan nominated her to replace retiring Health and Human Services Secretary Richard Schweiker in January 1983. Although she had no experience in public health, she was confirmed on March 3, 1983 by an 82 to 3 vote in the Senate. The three dissenters were conservative Republicans, including Sen. Jesse Helms of North Carolina.
As secretary, Heckler publicly supported the Reagan administration's more conservative views presiding over staffing cuts in the department as part of the administration’s spending reductions and was a frequent spokesperson on a wide array of public health issues, including the then-emerging AIDS crisis.
While HHS secretary, Heckler repeatedly and incorrectly assured the American public that the nation's blood supply was "100% safe... for both the hemophiliac who requires large transfusions and for the average citizen who might need it for surgery".
Read more about this topic: Margaret Heckler
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