Susan Orr
Encyclopedia
Susan Orr headed the United States Children's Bureau
, a federal agency organized under the United States Department of Health and Human Services
' Administration for Children and Families
, Administration for Children and Families, as Associate Commissioner
.
In October 2007, the Bush
administration appointed Orr to be acting head of the Office of Population Affairs, a post whose responsibilities include U.S. contraception
programs. Orr's appointment became controversial because, according to critics, she has been critical of contraception in the past. She subsequently resigned in May 2008.
with a degree in politics and received master's
and Ph.D
degrees in Government from Claremont Graduate School.
She was a high school principal and adjunct professor at both American University
and Regent University
founded by the televangelist Pat Robertson
.
In 1995, Orr wrote Jerusalem and Athens, which examined Leo Strauss
's ideas concerning the competition between reason
and revelation
arguing that if Strauss preferred one over the other, it would be revelation.
Orr served at the Administration on Children, Youth and Families from 1992-8 during Bill Clinton
's presidency as a special assistant to the commissioner and a child welfare program specialist at the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect. From 1998-2001, she was senior director for marriage and family at the Family Research Council
, a group that favors abstinence-only education and opposes federal money for contraception, according to the Wall Street Journal. Prior to 2001, she was a director of the Center for Social Policy at the Reason Public Policy Institute a think tank
run by the Reason Foundation
, a conservative research and policy group.
From 2001-7, Orr headed the United States Children's Bureau
, a federal agency organized under the United States Department of Health and Human Services
' Administration for Children and Families
, as Associate Commissioner
. The agency, with a $7 billion budget, is responsible for child abuse prevention, foster care, and adoption programs.
administration appointed Orr to be acting head of the Office of Population Affairs an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services
' (HHS) Office of Public Health and Science
as Deputy Assistant Secretary. The office is responsible for $283 million in grants providing more than 5 million low-income families and others with family planning
services including contraception
(preventing nearly 2 million unintended pregnancies annually), STD
and HIV
education and testing, counseling and breast
and cervical cancer
screenings. In addition, the office grants $30.7 million to promote sexual abstinence
among adolescents and provide health care and other services to pregnant and parenting adolescents. The position did not require Senate confirmation.
Orr resigned the position in May 2008. The National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association said,
to cover five types of birth control: "We're quite pleased, because fertility is not a disease. It’s not a medical necessity that you have it.”" The proposal was overturned by Congress. The president of a family planning association said, "We have another appointment that just truly politicizes family planning", referring to the previous appointment to the Office of Population Affairs, Eric Keroack
, a physician who worked at a Christian pregnancy-counseling organization opposed to the use of birth control. He resigned in March to deal with an allegation by the Massachusetts Medicaid program against his private practice. Senator Hillary Clinton said the appointment "sends a message to women that ideology trumps women's health." Several other Democratic
representatives along with Planned Parenthood came out against the appointment. Several members asked the HHS Secretary to withdraw the appointment.
In support of the appointment, an HHS spokesperson said Orr's "breadth of programmatic and managerial experience makes her highly qualified to serve as acting director." Additionally, she has been developing programs "that focus on preventing the abuse of children in troubled families, protecting children from abuse, and finding permanent placements for those who cannot safely return to their homes." In defense of her controversial 2001 comment, he said, she was supporting President Bush’s policy. “As she said then, the policy allows freedom of conscience and freedom of choice. Practically speaking, workers should be able to choose what kind of coverage matters to them." The Family Research Council said that she wanted to give employees the option to have a medical plan without family planning coverage, not to remove family planning for all. The head of the conservative Pennsylvania Family Institute said, "From everything I know about Susan Orr and having worked with her on a number of issues, I think she would do fine in that position." He described her as a cultural conservative.
and neglect by restricting it to assault and serious neglect arguing that Child Protective Services
(CPS) are "intruding into too many families' lives unnecessarily." She advocated moving investigations from CPS to police departments. She argued against helping the family "to attempt to repair or heal". Instead, she supported treating incidents only as a criminal matter. She called for the repeal of mandatory reporting requirements
which require people who work with children to report suspicions of child abuse. She argued these laws encourage unnecessary reporting and discouraged neighbors from directly helping the troubled family. In the end, CPS would be involved only with voluntary services such as parenting advice. and, further, should be privatized
.
, Orr is on the board of directors of Teen Choice, a group calling for abstinence instead of contraception.
titled Real Women Stay Married, Orr argued that the majority of divorces are caused by women and called for them to recognize that only God can fulfill their lives.
that restricts non-governmental organizations who receive American tax dollars from providing or promoting abortion services. She was against approval of the abortifacient
RU-486.
United States Children's Bureau
The United States Children's Bureau is a federal agency organized under the United States Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families. Today, the bureau's operations involve improving child abuse prevention, foster care, and adoption...
, a federal agency organized under the United States Department of Health and Human Services
United States Department of Health and Human Services
The United States Department of Health and Human Services is a Cabinet department of the United States government with the goal of protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto is "Improving the health, safety, and well-being of America"...
' Administration for Children and Families
Administration for Children and Families
The Administration for Children and Families is a division of the United States Department of Health and Human Services . It is headed by the Assistant Secretary for Children and Families. It has a $58.8 billion budget for 65 programs that target children, youth and families...
, Administration for Children and Families, as Associate Commissioner
Commissioner
Commissioner is in principle the title given to a member of a commission or to an individual who has been given a commission ....
.
In October 2007, the Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
administration appointed Orr to be acting head of the Office of Population Affairs, a post whose responsibilities include U.S. contraception
Contraception
Contraception is the prevention of the fusion of gametes during or after sexual activity. The term contraception is a contraction of contra, which means against, and the word conception, meaning fertilization...
programs. Orr's appointment became controversial because, according to critics, she has been critical of contraception in the past. She subsequently resigned in May 2008.
Career
Orr graduated from the University of DallasUniversity of Dallas
The University of Dallas is a private, independent Catholic regional university located in Irving, Texas, established in 1956, which is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. According to U.S...
with a degree in politics and received master's
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
and Ph.D
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
degrees in Government from Claremont Graduate School.
She was a high school principal and adjunct professor at both American University
American University
American University is a private, Methodist, liberal arts, and research university in Washington, D.C. The university was chartered by an Act of Congress on December 5, 1892 as "The American University", which was approved by President Benjamin Harrison on February 24, 1893...
and Regent University
Regent University
Regent University is a private coeducational interdenominational Christian university located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States. The school was founded by the American televangelist Pat Robertson in 1978 as Christian Broadcasting Network University. A satellite campus located in...
founded by the televangelist Pat Robertson
Pat Robertson
Marion Gordon "Pat" Robertson is a media mogul, television evangelist, ex-Baptist minister and businessman who is politically aligned with the Christian Right in the United States....
.
In 1995, Orr wrote Jerusalem and Athens, which examined Leo Strauss
Leo Strauss
Leo Strauss was a political philosopher and classicist who specialized in classical political philosophy. He was born in Germany to Jewish parents and later emigrated to the United States...
's ideas concerning the competition between reason
Reason
Reason is a term that refers to the capacity human beings have to make sense of things, to establish and verify facts, and to change or justify practices, institutions, and beliefs. It is closely associated with such characteristically human activities as philosophy, science, language, ...
and revelation
Revelation
In religion and theology, revelation is the revealing or disclosing, through active or passive communication with a supernatural or a divine entity...
arguing that if Strauss preferred one over the other, it would be revelation.
Orr served at the Administration on Children, Youth and Families from 1992-8 during Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
's presidency as a special assistant to the commissioner and a child welfare program specialist at the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect. From 1998-2001, she was senior director for marriage and family at the Family Research Council
Family Research Council
The Family Research Council is a conservative or right-wing Christian group and lobbying organization formed in the United States in 1981 by James Dobson. It was fully incorporated in 1983...
, a group that favors abstinence-only education and opposes federal money for contraception, according to the Wall Street Journal. Prior to 2001, she was a director of the Center for Social Policy at the Reason Public Policy Institute a think tank
Think tank
A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...
run by the Reason Foundation
Reason Foundation
The Reason Foundation is an American nonprofit think tank founded in 1978 that also publishes Reason magazine. Based in Los Angeles, Reason is self-described as nonpartisan and publishes a statement of values that can best be described as libertarian...
, a conservative research and policy group.
From 2001-7, Orr headed the United States Children's Bureau
United States Children's Bureau
The United States Children's Bureau is a federal agency organized under the United States Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families. Today, the bureau's operations involve improving child abuse prevention, foster care, and adoption...
, a federal agency organized under the United States Department of Health and Human Services
United States Department of Health and Human Services
The United States Department of Health and Human Services is a Cabinet department of the United States government with the goal of protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto is "Improving the health, safety, and well-being of America"...
' Administration for Children and Families
Administration for Children and Families
The Administration for Children and Families is a division of the United States Department of Health and Human Services . It is headed by the Assistant Secretary for Children and Families. It has a $58.8 billion budget for 65 programs that target children, youth and families...
, as Associate Commissioner
Commissioner
Commissioner is in principle the title given to a member of a commission or to an individual who has been given a commission ....
. The agency, with a $7 billion budget, is responsible for child abuse prevention, foster care, and adoption programs.
Appointment
On October 15, 2007, the BushGeorge W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
administration appointed Orr to be acting head of the Office of Population Affairs an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services
United States Department of Health and Human Services
The United States Department of Health and Human Services is a Cabinet department of the United States government with the goal of protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto is "Improving the health, safety, and well-being of America"...
' (HHS) Office of Public Health and Science
Office of Public Health and Science
The Office of Public Health and Science is an operating agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and the managing personnel body for the United States Public Health Service. The office is under the direction of the Assistant Secretary for Health, who serves as the senior...
as Deputy Assistant Secretary. The office is responsible for $283 million in grants providing more than 5 million low-income families and others with family planning
Family planning
Family planning is the planning of when to have children, and the use of birth control and other techniques to implement such plans. Other techniques commonly used include sexuality education, prevention and management of sexually transmitted infections, pre-conception counseling and...
services including contraception
Contraception
Contraception is the prevention of the fusion of gametes during or after sexual activity. The term contraception is a contraction of contra, which means against, and the word conception, meaning fertilization...
(preventing nearly 2 million unintended pregnancies annually), STD
Sexually transmitted disease
Sexually transmitted disease , also known as a sexually transmitted infection or venereal disease , is an illness that has a significant probability of transmission between humans by means of human sexual behavior, including vaginal intercourse, oral sex, and anal sex...
and HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
education and testing, counseling and breast
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
and cervical cancer
Cervical cancer
Cervical cancer is malignant neoplasm of the cervix uteri or cervical area. One of the most common symptoms is abnormal vaginal bleeding, but in some cases there may be no obvious symptoms until the cancer is in its advanced stages...
screenings. In addition, the office grants $30.7 million to promote sexual abstinence
Sexual abstinence
Sexual abstinence is the practice of refraining from some or all aspects of sexual activity for medical, psychological, legal, social, philosophical or religious reasons.Common reasons for practicing sexual abstinence include:*poor health - medical celibacy...
among adolescents and provide health care and other services to pregnant and parenting adolescents. The position did not require Senate confirmation.
Orr resigned the position in May 2008. The National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association said,
We are certainly relieved that a known opponent of access to contraception like Dr. Susan Orr is resigning.... Health care providers should never be subject to political whims, yet here is another example of the Bush Administration attempting to put ideology ahead of sound science.
Reaction to the appointment
Several groups reacted to Orr's 2001 comment while at the Family Research Council concerning the Bush administration's proposal to stop requiring federal employees health plansFederal Employees Health Benefit Plan
The Federal Employees Health Benefits Program is a system of "managed competition" through which employee health benefits are provided to civilian government employees and annuitants of the United States government...
to cover five types of birth control: "We're quite pleased, because fertility is not a disease. It’s not a medical necessity that you have it.”" The proposal was overturned by Congress. The president of a family planning association said, "We have another appointment that just truly politicizes family planning", referring to the previous appointment to the Office of Population Affairs, Eric Keroack
Eric Keroack
Dr. Eric J. Keroack is an American obstetrician-gynecologist.In late 2006, he was named as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Population Affairs at the Department of Health and Human Services, the office that oversees federally funded teenage pregnancy, family planning, and abstinence programs,...
, a physician who worked at a Christian pregnancy-counseling organization opposed to the use of birth control. He resigned in March to deal with an allegation by the Massachusetts Medicaid program against his private practice. Senator Hillary Clinton said the appointment "sends a message to women that ideology trumps women's health." Several other Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
representatives along with Planned Parenthood came out against the appointment. Several members asked the HHS Secretary to withdraw the appointment.
In support of the appointment, an HHS spokesperson said Orr's "breadth of programmatic and managerial experience makes her highly qualified to serve as acting director." Additionally, she has been developing programs "that focus on preventing the abuse of children in troubled families, protecting children from abuse, and finding permanent placements for those who cannot safely return to their homes." In defense of her controversial 2001 comment, he said, she was supporting President Bush’s policy. “As she said then, the policy allows freedom of conscience and freedom of choice. Practically speaking, workers should be able to choose what kind of coverage matters to them." The Family Research Council said that she wanted to give employees the option to have a medical plan without family planning coverage, not to remove family planning for all. The head of the conservative Pennsylvania Family Institute said, "From everything I know about Susan Orr and having worked with her on a number of issues, I think she would do fine in that position." He described her as a cultural conservative.
Child protection
In 1999, while associated with the Reason Public Policy Institute, Orr published a series of endorsements for reforming child protection efforts. She recommended narrowing the definition of what is child abuseChild abuse
Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
and neglect by restricting it to assault and serious neglect arguing that Child Protective Services
Child Protective Services
Child Protective Services is the name of a governmental agency in many states of the United States that responds to reports of child abuse or neglect. Some states use other names, often attempting to reflect more family-centered practices, such as "Department of Children & Family Services"...
(CPS) are "intruding into too many families' lives unnecessarily." She advocated moving investigations from CPS to police departments. She argued against helping the family "to attempt to repair or heal". Instead, she supported treating incidents only as a criminal matter. She called for the repeal of mandatory reporting requirements
Mandated reporter
In many U.S. states and Australia, mandated reporters are professionals who, in the ordinary course of their work and because they have regular contact with children, disabled persons, senior citizens, or other identified vulnerable populations, are required to report whenever financial, physical,...
which require people who work with children to report suspicions of child abuse. She argued these laws encourage unnecessary reporting and discouraged neighbors from directly helping the troubled family. In the end, CPS would be involved only with voluntary services such as parenting advice. and, further, should be privatized
Privatization
Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector or to private non-profit organizations...
.
Contraception
In 2001 Orr stated that she believes that because contraception is not a medical necessity health insurance plans should not be forced to cover it. In 2000, Orr wrote, concerning the lack of a "conscience clause" in a Washington D.C. municipal plan to force health insurers to cover contraception costs: "It's not about choice. It's not about health care. It's about making everyone collaborators with the culture of death.", Orr is on the board of directors of Teen Choice, a group calling for abstinence instead of contraception.
Divorce
In a 2000 article in Washington Watch, a publication for the conservative Family Research CouncilFamily Research Council
The Family Research Council is a conservative or right-wing Christian group and lobbying organization formed in the United States in 1981 by James Dobson. It was fully incorporated in 1983...
titled Real Women Stay Married, Orr argued that the majority of divorces are caused by women and called for them to recognize that only God can fulfill their lives.
Abortion
In 2001, Orr hailed the Mexico City PolicyMexico City Policy
The Mexico City Policy, also known by critics as the Mexico City Gag Rule and the Global Gag Rule, was an intermittent United States government policy that required all non-governmental organizations that receive federal funding to refrain from performing or promoting abortion services, as a...
that restricts non-governmental organizations who receive American tax dollars from providing or promoting abortion services. She was against approval of the abortifacient
Abortifacient
An abortifacient is a substance that induces abortion. Abortifacients for animals that have mated undesirably are known as mismating shots....
RU-486.
Publications
- Jerusalem and Athens: Reason and Revelation in the Works of Leo Strauss by Susan Orr. Lanham, MD.: Rowman and Littlefield, 1995. ISBN 084768010X