Senate Panel Questions President's Third Pick for Surgeon General

Senate Panel Questions President's Third Pick for Surgeon General

2026-09-17 politics

Washington, Wednesday, 16 September 2026.
On September 16, 2026, Dr. Nicole Saphier faced Senate confirmation as the third surgeon general nominee since 2025, confronting questions over personal investments in tobacco and ultraprocessed food companies.

Senate Panel Questions President’s Third Pick for Surgeon General

On September 16, 2026, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee convened to question Dr. Nicole Saphier, President Donald Trump’s third nominee for U.S. Surgeon General [1][2]. The hearing, held in Room 430 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, marks a critical step for a position that has remained vacant since January 2025 [2][6]. Dr. Saphier faces scrutiny regarding her alignment with administration health policies and her personal financial holdings [1][7]. This confirmation process follows the withdrawal of two previous nominees, underscoring the political complexity surrounding federal health leadership [2][7].

Nominee Background and Financial Interests

Dr. Saphier serves as the director of breast imaging at Memorial Sloan Kettering Monmouth and is a former Fox News Channel contributor [2][7]. Ethics filings dated September 7, 2026, reveal financial interests in healthcare firms, processed food companies like Coca-Cola, and tobacco manufacturer Philip Morris [7]. Additionally, she owns DropRx and Empower MD LLC, firms producing unregulated tinctures containing kava kava root, an ingredient linked by the FDA to potential liver injury [7]. Should she be confirmed, Saphier has committed to resigning from these companies and divesting from conflicting holdings [7]. Her professional background includes a doctor of medicine degree from Ross University School of Medicine and fellowships at the Mayo Clinic [7].

Political Context and Committee Dynamics

The nomination occurs within a broader reshaping of the Department of Health and Human Services under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. [2]. Secretary Kennedy has characterized Saphier as a long-time warrior for the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, though Saphier has previously criticized the hiring of anti-vaccine activists [2][7]. Republican senators have shown signs of warming to the nominee, despite past contentious hearings for previous picks [3][7]. Alongside Saphier, the committee is reviewing nominations for Chris Klomp as deputy secretary and Dr. Timothy Westlake for assistant secretary for mental health and substance use [2][6]. The outcome of today’s proceedings will determine if the U.S. finally installs a confirmed Surgeon General after nearly two years of vacancy [1][2].

Sources


Nicole Saphier Surgeon General