President Donald Trump's nominee for surgeon general, Dr. Nicole Saphier, advanced out of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) on Wednesday, moving closer to confirmation. The committee voted 12-11 along party lines to send her nomination to the full Senate for consideration. Saphier, a radiologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and a former Fox News contributor, is Trump’s third nominee for the position after previous picks stalled in the Senate.
During her confirmation hearing last month, Saphier was extensively questioned on her views regarding vaccines, particularly childhood immunizations. She asserted that she does not believe childhood vaccines cause autism, responding to inquiries led by Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), who chairs the HELP committee. Cassidy specifically asked about the safety and efficacy of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, which Saphier described as “our greatest tool for combating measles infections.” This stance contrasted with President Trump’s earlier remarks suggesting concerns about the MMR vaccine's safety that run counter to the established scientific consensus.
Saphier also addressed questions about the universal birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine, confirming that she believes it to be safe and effective, although some Democratic senators, including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), expressed opposition to her nomination. Sanders cited concerns over Saphier’s vaccine-related statements and emphasized the need for a surgeon general who “will tell the truth about vaccines” and not “mislead the public.”
In addition to Saphier, the committee advanced the nominations of Timothy Westlake to serve as assistant secretary for mental health and substance use at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Mary Lazare for assistant secretary for aging. Westlake, a board-certified emergency physician, also received a positive committee vote alongside Saphier. Westlake’s role would oversee policy efforts related to mental health and substance abuse.
Separately, Chris Klomp, nominated for deputy secretary of HHS, was advanced out of the Senate Finance Committee last week by a narrow margin. Klomp, who currently serves as chief counselor at HHS under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., faced criticism from some senators, including Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), who questioned his ability to provide clear leadership on vaccine policy amidst ongoing controversies associated with the department’s direction.
The surgeon general position itself holds limited policymaking authority but serves as a prominent public spokesperson on health matters nationwide. While the timing of the full Senate votes for these nominations has not been announced, analysts generally expect the nominees to be confirmed. The developments come amid ongoing national debates over vaccine messaging and public health communication.