Surgeon General nominee testifies before Senate

Dr. Casey Means, the president's surgeon general nominee, told senators Wednesday she would prioritize addressing the root causes of chronic disease during her confirmation hearing Wednesday.

"Our nation is angry, exhausted and hurting from preventable diseases," she told the Senate Health Committee. "We must confront this epidemic through a vision grounded in science, dignity, shared humanity and a respect for freedom — not politicization and division."

Dr. Means attributed rising rates of chronic illness to ultra-processed foods, industrial chemical exposure, lack of physical activity, chronic stress, loneliness and what she described as "overmedicalization."

"I believe that every American shares a core yearning to thrive and help their families thrive, but we are asking people to make healthy choices in environments that are squarely structured against them," she said. "Good policy and education can make health easier, more affordable and more accessible."

The 38-year-old attended Stanford medical school and began surgical training but said she chose to leave "traditional medicine" to study "the root cause of why Americans are sick."

Dr. Means is President Trump's second nominee for surgeon general, after his first pick, Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, was withdrawn following criticism from some of President Trump's allies.

She was initially scheduled to testify before the Senate in October, but her hearing was postponed for four months after she went into labor.

If confirmed, Dr. Means would serve as the nation's top doctor, overseeing more than 6,000 members of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, which leads disease prevention initiatives and advances public health science.