Undue Interference With Nation’s Doctor
The following editorial appeared in the Miami Herald on Tuesday, July 17:
No one who has been paying attention can profess surprise with former Surgeon General Richard Carmona’s testimony last week about the Bush administration’s political interference in the office’s public-health mission. What is surprising is how pervasive and insistent were the White House demands to put politics above science.
What matters now is what, if anything, can be done about it. The answer: Not nearly enough. The surgeon general is a political appointee and, as such, is expected to support the administration’s policies. But what if those policies are inconsistent with the basic duties of the office, as Carmona alleged last week in congressional testimony, and, worse, incompatible with the surgeon general’s own knowledge of science and medicine?
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is considering changes in how the office is funded and staffed as a way of giving it more independence. This would help, but may not be enough. The surgeon general’s office is part of the Department of Health and Human Services, which itself is managed by a political appointee. Thus, a president determined to shape policy to his liking starts with a stacked deck.
What can be hoped is that the Senate rigorously vets all nominees, and that appointees have the courage to speak their mind, and enough integrity to stick to their principles. This is what other surgeons general have done. It would help, too, if presidents made responsible appointments based on ability and merit, not ideology _ assuming that this isn’t asking too much of a political sacrifice. All of this is especially relevant now as the Senate considers the nomination of Dr. James W. Holsinger to be the next surgeon general. If appointed, Dr. Holsinger should hope for less interference than Dr. Carmona encountered _ but be prepared for the worst.
Dr. Carmona said that the administration pressured him to put ideology above science in reports about stem cells, emergency contraception, sex education, prison reform and mental-health issues. He said he was asked to support Republican candidates and attend political briefings.
He also said that he once was ordered to mention President Bush three times on every page of a speech. Dr. Carmona, a veteran of the Army Special Forces, said he resisted, refused and fought back. Tellingly, he never resigned.
Dr. Carmona said that in conversations with previous surgeons general who served in Republican and Democratic administrations, all acknowledged receiving political pressure _ but not nearly as unrelenting as in the current White House.
By training and tradition, the surgeon general is considered to be America’s doctor. A president who unduly interferes with that mission does a disservice to the nation.
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(c) 2007, The Miami Herald.
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ARCHIVE PHOTO on MCT Direct (from MCT Photo Service, 202-383-6099): Richard Carmona
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