Rep. Mike Kennedy argues U.S. Surgeon General position is unnecessary

U.S. Representative Mike Kennedy, a Republican physician from Utah, argued during a public forum at the University of Utah that the position of U.S. Surgeon General is unnecessary. Speaking at an event hosted by the Hinckley Institute of Politics and the Sutherland Institute of Politics, Kennedy stated, “I’m warning you right now, that position shouldn’t be there. We don’t need a chief doctor.”

Kennedy contended that public health matters and disease control should be managed by individual states rather than the federal government, noting that different communities experienced the COVID-19 pandemic in varying ways.

The Surgeon General role, which has been vacant for nearly two years, is responsible for issuing public health advisories and communicating scientific data. While the office historically advocates for immunizations, it does not set official vaccine policies. President Donald Trump has nominated Nicole Saphier to the post, though her nomination has not yet been voted on by the Senate. Advocacy groups, such as the Center for Science in the Public Interest, have defended the role as a critical communicator for national health science.