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− Fresh Air Wild Card with Rachel Martin It's Been a Minute Embedded Get NPR+ More Podcasts & Shows Search Newsletters NPR Shop Get NPR+ Tiny Desk New Music Friday All Songs Considered Music Features Live Sessions About NPR Diversity Support Careers Press Ethics Trump’s picks for three top health positions face Senate committee On Wednesday, the Senate committee on health holds a confirmation hearing for three top health officials, including surgeon general.
+ Fresh Air Wild Card with Rachel Martin It's Been a Minute Embedded Get NPR+ More Podcasts & Shows Search Newsletters NPR Shop Get NPR+ Tiny Desk New Music Friday All Songs Considered Music Features About NPR Diversity Support Careers Press Ethics Trump’s picks for three top health positions face Senate committee On Wednesday, the Senate committee on health held a confirmation hearing for three top health officials, including surgeon general.
Dr. Nicole Saphier is President Trump's third attempt to nominate a surgeon general.
− Health Senators question Trump's picks for top health positions, including surgeon general September 16, 20266:00 AM ET By Rachel Carlson , Selena Simmons-Duffin Dr.
+ Health Senators question Trump's picks for top health positions, including surgeon general September 16, 20266:00 AM ET Heard on All Things Considered By Rachel Carlson , Selena Simmons-Duffin Nicole Saphier, Trump's third pick for surgeon general, during a Senate committee on health hearing on Wednesday, Sept.
− Nicole Saphier, Trump's nominee for surgeon general.
+ 16, 2026.
− John Lamparski/Getty Images hide caption For stories on the science of healthy living, subscribe to NPR's Health newsletter.
+ Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption For stories on the science of healthy living, subscribe to NPR's Health newsletter.
− The Senate committee on health meets this morning to consider three of the Trump administration's picks for top jobs at the Department of Health and Human Services, including deputy secretary and surgeon general.
+ The Senate committee on health met this morning to consider three of the Trump administration's picks for top jobs at the Department of Health and Human Services, including deputy secretary and surgeon general.
− If you're having deja vu, that's because there was a similar hearing seven months ago on the nomination of Dr.
+ Dr.
− Casey Means for surgeon general.
+ Nicole Saphier, a radiologist, is the current nominee for the surgeon general position.
− After a last-minute cancellation of her first confirmation hearing because she went into labor, and a contentious hearing in February, support for her nomination fell apart and the committee never voted.
+ Saphier is Trump's third pick for the position, often known as the nation's top doctor.
− Means was the second nominee for the position.
+ Health Can Trump's latest pick for surgeon general make it through confirmation?
− President Trump's first choice, Fox News medical contributor Dr.
+ Also questioned was Chris Klomp, a former health tech executive who's been running much of the day-to-day operations of HHS since February.
− Janette Nesheiwat, was dropped after questions were raised about her academic credentials.
+ He's the nominee to serve as deputy secretary of HHS.
− On Wednesday, senators will consider Trump's third pick, Dr.
+ Klomp is not a media personality or politician, but since joining the Trump administration initially as the director of the Center for Medicare, he's risen through the ranks with a reputation as a pragmatic and effective leader. The third nominee up for consideration was Dr.
− Nicole Saphier, a radiologist, for the surgeon general position.
+ Timothy Westlake, a Wisconsin-based emergency medicine physician, who was nominated to serve as assistant secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use.
− Health Can Trump's latest pick for surgeon general make it through confirmation?
+ America has not had a surgeon general since President Biden left office in January 2025 — Trump has not been able to get a nominee through the senate this term. Like Trump's initial pick, Dr.
− Also testifying before senators Wednesday is Chris Klomp, a former health tech executive who's been running much of the day-to-day operations of HHS since February.
+ Janette Nesheiwat, Dr.
− He's the nominee to serve as deputy secretary of HHS.
+ Nicole Saphier is a former Fox News Channel contributor with a medical degree from a Caribbean university.
− Klomp is not a media personality or politician, but since joining the Trump administration initially as the director of the Center for Medicare, he's risen through the ranks with a reputation as a pragmatic and effective leader. If Tuesday's confirmation hearing in the Senate Finance Committee is any indication, senators will grill Klomp on measles, abortion medication, drug prices, and vaccines.
+ She's a radiologist and the director of breast imaging at Memorial Sloan Kettering Monmouth in New Jersey.
− The third nominee up for consideration is Dr.
+ Although she lacks a public health background, Saphier's nomination has not been met with the wall of opposition that Trump's first two nominees faced. A key issue during the hearing was Saphier's views on vaccines.
− Timothy Westlake, a Wisconsin-based emergency medicine physician, who's been nominated to serve as assistant secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use.
+ Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, a liver doctor and chair of the committee, grilled Saphier on the debunked link between vaccines and autism — with a focus on the MMR vaccine.
− The elephant in the room will be Health Secretary Robert F.
+ "I don't know what causes autism but I have not seen reputable evidence that suggests that vaccines cause autism," Saphier said. Cassidy wasn't satisfied with that response. "There's a little bit of a wiggle room there, and I'm so sensitive to this, because I've had wiggle room from people sitting there … who later use that wiggle room to do things which are quite contrary," he said. Cassidy was likely referring to Health Secretary Robert F.
Kennedy Jr., whose relationship with Congress, and with this committee in particular, is strained.
− Kennedy made many promises during his own confirmation hearing that he has subsequently broken.
+ Kennedy made promises during his own confirmation hearing that he has not fulfilled.
His appearances before the committee have been infrequent, and when they happen, they've been chaotic and combative.
− America has not had a surgeon general since President Biden left office in January 2025 — Trump has not been able to get a nominee through the senate this term.
+ "I do not believe childhood vaccines cause autism," Saphier told the committee.
− Like Trump's initial pick, Dr.
+ She also said the MMR vaccine is "the best tool we have to combat these infections, to save the most lives and to also create population herd immunity." Health Dr.
− Nicole Saphier is also a former Fox News Channel contributor with a medical degree from a Caribbean university.
+ Erica Schwartz confirmed as CDC director, filling a leadership vacuum This is relatively consistent with Saphier's previous comments about vaccines and autism.
− She's a radiologist and the director of breast imaging at Memorial Sloan Kettering Monmouth in New Jersey. Although she lacks a public health background, Saphier's nomination has not been met with the wall of opposition that Means faced, and it's unclear what reception she will receive from senators.
+ In an op-ed last spring, Saphier criticized Kennedy's decision to look for the root cause of rising autism diagnoses by hiring anti-vaccine activist David Geier.
− Dr. Jerome Adams, who served as surgeon general in the first Trump administration, told NPR in May that he expects Saphier to be confirmed.
+ "If we want lasting change in how we diagnose, treat and perhaps prevent autism, it must be built on a foundation of rigorous science, not controversy and conspiracy theories," she wrote.
− Health Dr. Erica Schwartz confirmed as CDC director, filling a leadership vacuum Kennedy complimented Saphier's nomination in April on social media, calling her "a long-time warrior for the MAHA movement." She, in fact, wrote a book titled "Make America Healthy Again" published in 2020, years before Kennedy began promoting the slogan during the 2024 presidential election.
+ Cassidy also questioned Saphier on the hepatitis B vaccine.
− A key issue during the hearing will likely be Saphier's views on vaccines.
+ In the past, Saphier has questioned whether every child needs to get the hepatitis B vaccine at birth. Today, Saphier said she supports universal hepatitis B vaccination, but did not directly answer Cassidy's questions about whether she agrees with Kennedy's efforts to get rid of the recommendation. "The universal birth dose has been the most effective policy here in the United States for reducing infection," she said. Vaping was another key topic at the hearing.
− She has criticized COVID-19 vaccine booster requirements and questioned whether every child needs to get the hepatitis B vaccine at birth.
+ Republican Sen.
− Those latter comments may draw the attention of Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, a liver doctor and chair of the committee, who has spoken emotionally in past hearings about treating patients who suffered from hepatitis B.
+ Susan Collins asked Saphier whether she agreed with the FDA's recent decision to allow the sale of fruit-flavored vapes.
− At times, though, Saphier has defended vaccines in the context of the debunked link with autism.
+ Saphier said she doesn't "want anyone smoking anything," but "if a flavor can entice an adult to quit smoking cigarettes, then maybe it's something to be considered." Dr.
− In an op-ed last spring, Saphier criticized Kennedy's decision to look for the root cause of rising autism diagnoses by hiring anti-vaccine activist David Geier.
+ Jerome Adams, who served as surgeon general in the first Trump administration, told NPR in May that he expects Saphier to be confirmed.
− "If we want lasting change in how we diagnose, treat and perhaps prevent autism, it must be built on a foundation of rigorous science, not controversy and conspiracy theories," she wrote.
+ Kennedy complimented Saphier's nomination in April on social media, calling her "a long-time warrior for the MAHA movement." She, in fact, wrote a book titled "Make America Healthy Again" published in 2020, years before Kennedy began promoting the slogan during the 2024 presidential election.
− She also told The Associated Press last fall that Trump's suggestion that pregnant women should avoid Tylenol because of the risk of autism was oversimplistic and "patronizing." A less public-facing but arguably more powerful position will also be considered on Wednesday: deputy secretary of HHS.
+ A less public-facing but arguably more powerful position was also considered: deputy secretary of HHS.
The man nominated for that job is Chris Klomp. If confirmed, Klomp would be second-in-command to Secretary Kennedy. Klomp has served as Medicare director since April 2025, and in February was elevated to become "chief counselor" to Kennedy. Republican senators on the Finance committee were friendly to Klomp during a hearing on Tuesday and questioned him about issues like drug pricing and Medicaid fraud. Democratic senators pushed him on HHS' response to ongoing measles outbreaks across the country.
− Despite the doubts sown by Kennedy and Trump about the efficacy and safety of the MMR vaccine, Klomp forcefully spoke in support of children getting the MMR to help stop the spread of measles Health As diseases loom, CDC's response to measles deaths stirs fears about agency's reliability Finally, Dr.
+ Despite the doubts sown by Kennedy and Trump about the efficacy and safety of the MMR vaccine, Klomp forcefully spoke in support of children getting the MMR to help stop the spread of measles. In the hearing Wednesday, Cassidy asked Klomp about a need for transparency with regards to four recent measles-associated deaths in Pennsylvania.
+ Kennedy took the unprecedented step of questioning the deaths, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention removed them from the agency's website. That's all raised concerns about the agency's reliability, and new director, Dr. Erica Schwartz. Klomp defended Schwartz, but said the agency needs "a commitment to publish transparently on the website, and then a proper policy discussion or policy response." "In this case," he said, "promoting vaccination for measles." Health As diseases loom, CDC's response to measles deaths stirs fears about agency's reliability Finally, Dr.
Timothy Westlake, currently serving as chief of staff at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, or SAMHSA, has been nominated to serve as assistant secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use. SAMHSA has had massive staff cuts since Kennedy took over as secretary, and his restructuring plan — which is currently on ice after legal challenges — would have eliminated the agency.
+ In the hearing, Westlake was emotional about substance-related overdoses. He said he himself has been in recovery for nearly three decades — something Kennedy has publicly discussed about himself as well. Westlake spoke about personal connections to drug overdose deaths in children, and efforts to reduce fentanyl-related overdoses.
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