Holsinger Will Face Tough Questioning
WASHINGTON — Dr. James W. Holsinger will face tough questions about both his scientific and his religious positions at today’s Senate committee hearing on his nomination to be President Bush’s second surgeon general.
"Holsinger will be questioned strongly and asked about his record as well as his vision for the Office of the Surgeon General in the future," said a statement from the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee to the Herald-Leader.
Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass. and chairman of the committee, said: "The real issue is this administration’s repeated practice of putting politics and ideology ahead of science and public health. It has been a setback to our efforts to find a cure for cancer, prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and many other urgent health priorities."
In June, Kennedy said that Holsinger’s record "appears to guarantee a polarizing and divisive nomination process."
Both the left and the right have attacked Holsinger’s record.
On Monday, the conservative Family Research Council said that it does not support Holsinger because he testified against a state bill that would have stopped medical research using asexually-produced stem cells. On its Web site, it describe its position as neutral, but asked its Prayer Team to continue to pray that he gets "an honest and fair hearing."
Gay rights advocates have lobbied against Holsinger, a Methodist, because of actions he has taken within the church. Those include: writing a paper in 1991 on the dangers of gay sex; ruling on a judicial council in support of a pastor who banned an openly gay man from the congregation; and opposing the council’s decision to allow a lesbian to be an associate pastor.
The National Organization for Women and the American Public Health Association also oppose Holsinger on the basis of his writings regarding gays.
A politicized office?
The confirmation hearing comes two days after Bush’s previous surgeon general, Dr. Richard Carmona, harshly criticized the administration for politicizing the office by repeatedly muzzling science in favor of politics, ideology and theology on such issues as sex education, stem-cell research, tobacco and mental health.
There are signs that the Bush administration plans to keep its next surgeon general on a tight leash as well. White House spokeswoman Emily Lawrimore told the Washington Times that, as surgeon general, Holsinger "will not be involved in determining policy related to stem-cell research."
Holsinger has said he intends to focus on fighting childhood obesity, building on his own work as well as that of previous surgeon general Dr. David Satcher.
The surgeon general is often seen as "the nation’s doctor," but the post is largely that of a figurehead, an artifact from days of raging epidemics of yellow fever and tuberculosis. Since the ’60s, the post has been severed from any real control over public health. But the surgeon general still has tremendous symbolic and educational importance. For instance, it’s the surgeon general’s warning on cigarette packs.
The Senate committee that will question Holsinger includes three Democrats running for president: Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, and Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut. All three have expressed strong concerns about Holsinger.
No member of the committee, which includes 11 Democrats and 10 Republicans, has spoken out publicly to support Holsinger, who met with members individually in the weeks before his hearing.
Was in Fletcher cabinet
The committee will vote today on whether to send Holsinger’s nomination to the full Senate for final approval. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, has said that he expects "a quick confirmation."
Holsinger will have at least one friend in the room: Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky., announced that he will introduce Holsinger. "Dr. Holsinger is a great man and well-qualified for this important post," Bunning said on Tuesday.
Holsinger, 68, also has strong support in the UK medical community as well as within the Methodist church.
He was nominated as surgeon general by President Bush in June. Previously, Holsinger had served as Gov. Ernie Fletcher’s secretary for Health and Family Services from 2003 through 2005, held various academic and administrative posts at medical schools around the country, been a professor and chancellor of the University of Kentucky’s medical center for nine years, and served for 26 years in the Department of Veterans Affairs, where he was appointed chief medical director of Veterans Health Administration in 1990 and later VA Undersecretary for health. He was also in the Army Reserve for 31 years. In addition to his medical training, he has a master’s degree in biblical studies from Asbury Theological Seminary in Lexington.
Besides Kennedy, Clinton, Obama, and Dodd, other senators on the committee are: Tom Harkin of Iowa, Barbara Mikulski of Maryland, Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico, Patty Murray of Washington, Jack Reed of Rhode Island and Sherrod Brown of Ohio, all Democrats; Bernard Sanders of Vermont, an Independent who votes with the Democratic majority; Michael Enzi of Wyoming, Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, Richard Burr of North Carolina, Johnny Isakson of Georgia, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Orrin G. Hatch of Utah, Pat Roberts of Kansas, Wayne Allard of Colorado and Dr. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, all Republicans.
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Check online for these documents:
– The letter from the National Organization of Women opposing James W. Holsinger’s nomination to be surgeon general.
– A letter from Sen. Henry Waxman to the Department of Health and Human Services asking for documents relating to issues the previous surgeon general was told not to discuss.
– A letter from the American Public Health Association regarding Holsinger.
– Opposition to Holsinger from the Family Research Council.
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Panel chief asks White House for reports
WASHINGTON — A day after President Bush’s former surgeon general testified that he was censored repeatedly by political appointees, the head of the House Oversight committee is asking the administration for reports that may have been suppressed.
Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., yesterday asked Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt to provide within two weeks documents related to what Waxman called "political interference" with Dr. Richard Carmona, including his speaking engagements and travel.
Waxman also requested all documents related to blocked reports on global health, prison health, mental-health preparedness, and emergency preparedness.
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Online today Hearings
To watch the U.S. Senate committee’s hearings regarding the nomination of James W. Holsinger to be the next surgeon general, go to http://help.senate.gov/Hearings.html [http://help.senate.gov/Hearings.html]. The hearing begins at 10 a.m.