Nicole Saphier Failed to Stand Up to Trump’s and Kennedy’s Attacks on Public Health
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In her confirmation hearing before the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, Nicole Saphier failed to communicate clearly about important public health issues. Dr. Robert Steinbrook, Health Research Group Director at Public Citizen, issued the following statement:
“Nicole Saphier consistently refused to forcefully push back on President Trump’s or Secretary Kennedy’s conspiracy theories, including on the debunked notion that vaccines cause autism. Saphier’s equivocation on what should be easy questions about the science on vaccines highlights that she is not the voice the American people need to hear on public health issues. She would add to the confusion that Trump and RFK Jr. have sown by allowing hucksters to put profit ahead of patients and anti-science views ahead of sound public health information.
“The U.S. Surgeon General must put science first and clearly communicate about public health issues. Saphier failed to do so throughout her confirmation hearing. Public health is about taking care of each other, not leaving each of us to go it alone. As the attacks from President Trump, Congressional Republicans, and Secretary Kennedy further tear apart our already broken U.S. health care system and undermine public health, confirming Dr. Saphier as surgeon general would be a massive mistake.
“Nicole Saphier lacks the courage and honesty to serve as U.S. Surgeon General, and every Senator should reject her nomination.”