Senate Plans Virtual Confirmation Hearing for Trump's Surgeon General Nominee

The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee is planning a virtual confirmation hearing for Dr. Casey Means, President Donald Trump's nominee for U.S. Surgeon General, scheduled tentatively for late October 2025. Means, a Stanford-educated physician and wellness influencer, is currently pregnant and will attend the hearing virtually. Despite her medical degree, she has faced criticism for lacking traditional clinical experience, including not completing a surgical residency or holding an active medical license, drawing opposition from former Surgeon Generals Richard Carmona and Jerome Adams. Means is known for her work in health technology and the wellness space, aligning with the administration's "Make America Healthy Again" agenda and endorsed by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The nomination follows Trump's withdrawal of his initial pick, Janette Nesheiwat, and is part of the administration's broader health-focused Cabinet appointments. The HELP Committee continues to coordinate with Means and the administration to schedule the hearing and move her nomination through the confirmation process.