Surgeon General Nominee Means Defends Record, Avoids Vaccine Commitments
Casey Means testified before the Senate health committee, defending credentials while avoiding clear vaccine recommendations and facing questions about financial disclosures and ties to HHS leadership.
Overview
Casey Means testified for two hours before the Senate health committee on Wednesday, defending her credentials while sidestepping direct vaccine guidance.
If confirmed, Means would serve as the nation's surgeon general, a role that leads the more than 6,000-member U.S. Public Health Service and communicates federal public-health guidance.
Democratic senators and public-health experts questioned Means's qualifications and financial disclosures, with Senator Chris Murphy citing possible FTC violations and Senators Elizabeth Warren and Andy Kim seeking clarification earlier this year.
Means, 38, graduated from Stanford but did not complete her surgical residency, does not have an active medical license, and would be President Trump's second nominee after a prior candidate was withdrawn last year.
The two-hour hearing ended without a committee vote, and Means said she would divest from her companies if confirmed while questions about disclosures and vaccine positions remain unresolved.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the hearing skeptically: editorial language (phrases like 'highly scrutinized,' 'hesitated,' 'outlier') and emphasis on vaccine doubts, inactive medical license and business conflicts prioritize concerns over proponents' views. They foreground scientific consensus (CDC/ACOG) and watchdog findings (Public Citizen), structuring the piece to underscore credibility and qualification gaps.
Sources (19)
FAQ
The Surgeon General leads the U.S. Public Health Service, which has over 6,000 members, and communicates federal public-health guidance.
Casey Means graduated from Stanford University School of Medicine in 2014, started but did not complete her surgical residency at Oregon Health and Science University, established a functional medicine practice, and has had an inactive medical license since 2019 or 2023.
President Trump nominated Casey Means as Surgeon General on May 7, 2025, on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s recommendation after withdrawing Janette Nesheiwat's nomination; she testified before the Senate Health Committee on February 25, 2026.
Democratic senators questioned her qualifications, financial disclosures, possible FTC violations, ties to HHS leadership, and her avoidance of clear vaccine recommendations.
The two-hour hearing on February 25, 2026, ended without a committee vote, with unresolved questions on disclosures and vaccine positions.
History
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