6:27Dr. Casey Means, a wellness figure, left, and journalist Megyn Kelly are seen at a confirmation hearing for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for the position of Secretary of Health and Human Services, at the Capitol in Washington, Jan. 29, 2025.Ben Curtis/AP
Dr. Casey Means, President Donald Trump’s nominee for surgeon general, is currently in labor, and as a result, her confirmation session, planned for Thursday morning at 11 a.m. ET, has been delayed, according to sources with knowledge of the matter and a spokesperson for the HELP Committee.
Means was anticipated to encounter intense questioning from Democrats within the Senate’s health committee concerning her connections to a wellness enterprise she helped establish and her endorsement of supplements through online platforms and podcasts, according to individuals familiar with their strategy and a written communication directed to Means by a Democrat on the committee.
Means, a healthcare entrepreneur who, in 2018, concluded her residency initiative in Oregon mere months before graduation due to her “disenchantment with the procedures and inducements of surgical practice,” pledged in ethics submissions to step down from her role at the company, Levels Health, Inc., and to cease promoting wellness merchandise while in the role of surgeon general.
However, it is probable that Democrats on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), will emphasize these income streams during her upcoming hearing.
In a communication directed to Means, initially acquired by ABC News, Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., articulated, “Even post your divestiture, your recent fiscal associations with diverse wellness firms may reasonably induce the public to question if you are skewing health recommendations from the Office of the Surgeon General to the advantage of your previous associates.”
“If Means declines to excuse herself from governmental choices that could aid her former associates, how can we ascertain that as Surgeon General she will prioritize the well-being of Americans over distinct interests?” Warren expressed in a declaration to ABC News.
Dr. Casey Means, a wellness influencer, left, and journalist Megyn Kelly attend a confirmation hearing for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for the Secretary of Health and Human Services post, at the Capitol in Washington, Jan. 29, 2025.Ben Curtis/AP
Warren does not hold a position on the HELP Committee and will not be present at Thursday’s session.
Kim, a newly elected senator serving on the committee, remarked in a declaration that Americans “are entitled” to know that the nation’s leading physician has their health and wellness as the main concern, ahead of personal fiscal gain.
“I harbor reservations regarding that sort of individual when it pertains to making judgments and communicating with the American citizenry concerning the optimal means to educate them on maintaining their health,” Kim shared with ABC News prior to departing from the Capitol on Wednesday.
Means reportedly reacted with defensiveness to inquiries concerning her potential conflicts of interest during a gathering on Monday with personnel of Democratic HELP Committee members, according to multiple sources possessing knowledge of the meeting, as told to ABC News.
At a specific juncture, according to three informants, Means cited former President Joe Biden’s surgeon general, Vivek Murthy, highlighting the substantial sums he amassed throughout the pandemic era as a consultant for Carnival Cruise Line preceding his nomination for the position in 2021.
Means, according to the sources acquainted with the exchange, appeared disheartened by what she perceived as Democrats’ lack of enthusiasm in challenging Murthy in 2021 with a similar level of intensity that staffers exhibited in questioning her own financial discrepancies during Monday’s meeting.
According to a publicly accessible record, no members of the HELP Committee, whether Democratic or Republican, addressed Murthy’s coronavirus-related consulting activities during his 2021 confirmation session.
Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., informed ABC News on Wednesday that her personnel had indicated that Means displayed a “reluctance to be forthcoming to staff questions” during the Monday gathering.
A person familiar with Baldwin’s perspective subsequently communicated to ABC News that the senator harbored “deep reservations that Casey Means would prioritize her own political views, President Trump’s desires, and her own fiscal advantages over the wellness of Americans and the consensus of the scientific world.”
Emily Hilliard, a spokesperson for the Dept. of Health and Human Services, challenged the depiction of Monday’s meeting between Means and Democratic aides.
"Dr. Means engaged with committee staff in a spirit of good faith, despite being 40 weeks pregnant, and provided comprehensive and professional responses to all inquiries. Any insinuation that she was being ‘defensive’ or ‘unwilling to respond’ is both inaccurate and a distorted representation of the discussion," Hilliard articulated in a declaration to ABC News.
Means “continues to interact transparently with Senators from both parties as an integral aspect of the confirmation process,” she appended, stating that Means “is directing her efforts towards preparing for her confirmation session and furthering the administration’s public health aims, and not engaging in political theatrics."
Concurrently, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., a medical professional and the presiding officer of the HELP Committee, indicated he anticipates a constructive session on Thursday.
“[Senator Cassidy] is eager to discuss with Dr. Means the manner in which she intends to fulfill President Trump’s objective of instituting radical transparency and reinstating confidence in our health organizations,” a spokesperson for Cassidy conveyed to ABC News on Wednesday.
Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., lauded Means’ healthcare expertise. “I anticipate she'll provide some valuable counsel — that's essentially her role, to advise the president,” Tuberville shared with ABC News.
“Our food, vaccines, and indeed the entirety of our healthcare domain, are fraught with issues, and [we’re] merely seeking guidance from someone who possesses a modicum of sound judgment. It is possible such guidance might stem from an unconventional vantage point,” Tuberville commented.
Numerous Democrats who conferred with ABC News voiced concerns regarding Means, but Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., united with Tuberville in commending Means. He disclosed that he had a fruitful meeting with Means earlier in the week.
“We engaged in a very insightful dialogue,” Hickenlooper communicated to ABC News, adding, “She's a captivating individual with a noteworthy background. I’m eager to hear her perspectives.”
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
