President Trump’s pick for Surgeon General Casey Means is in jeopardy as at least four Republican senators have expressed doubts about his medical credentials, views on vaccines and some questionable advice he has given as a health care professional. “The Washington Post” reports.
Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Tom Tillis (R-North Carolina) all expressed concerns about his potential role at confirmation hearings last month and appear skeptical. Just one of those senators could be enough to block his nomination from getting out of the Senate Health Committee.
Means, who was nominated more than 10 months ago, is a well-known health influencer within the Remake America Health movement and a close ally of the anti-vaccine Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. who launched it. At the hearing, senators expressed their views on vaccines, including the flu and measles vaccines and the hepatitis B vaccine for newborns. He largely dodged questions, refused to publicly recommend life-saving shots, and avoided openly contradicting Kennedy’s anti-vaccine views and misinformation.
Afterward, Senators Collins and Murkowski said they still had questions. Murkowski also said she had “strong reservations” about Means’ candidacy, which had not changed as of last week, according to the Post.
Cassidy, who is chairman of the Senate Health Committee and a strong vaccine advocate, also emphasized his views on vaccines at multiple points during the hearing. Cassidy cast the key vote to confirm Kennedy as health secretary after Kennedy made promises not to implement certain anti-vaccine changes — promises Kennedy largely broke. While Cassidy has not indicated how she will vote on Means’ candidacy, those at MAHA are responsible for her retention. When the Post asked him about the status of the nomination, Cassidy said only “no change.”
