Democratic presidential candidates critical of surgeon general nominee

The two Democratic presidential front-runners who sit on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pension Committee, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, have now both issued statements critical of President Bush’s nominee for surgeon general, James W. Holsinger, whose confirmation hearing took place Thursday.

Major LGBT rights groups such as the Human Rights Campaign and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force have vehemently opposed Holsinger’s nomination based on a paper he wrote in 1991 in which he stated that the “varied sexual practices of homosexual men have resulted in a diverse and expanded concept of sexually transmitted disease and associated trauma.”

Obama and Clinton both objected to Holsinger’s characterization of gay sex, and Sen. Chistopher Dodd, the third presidential candidate on the HELP committee, outlined more general concerns about the nomination.

Obama issued the following statement upon Holsinger’s nomination in early June:

“America’s top doctor should be a doctor for all Americans, and so I have serious reservations about nominating someone who would inject his own anti-gay ideology into critical decisions about the health and well-being of our nation. As with other nominees, I will listen to the testimony of Dr. James Holsinger, but this Administration must know that the United States Surgeon General’s office is no place for bigotry or ideology that would trump sound science and good judgment.”

Clinton issued her own statement today:

“The Surgeon General is charged with protecting and advancing the health of the nation through health promotion and disease prevention efforts and with articulating scientifically-based health policy analysis and advice for the President and the Secretary of Health and Human Services. In addition, the Surgeon General is supposed to elevate the quality of public health practice by advancing appropriate standards in the professional disciplines. I have grave concerns about the ability of Dr. Holsinger to fulfill these duties.



“A quarter century after the AIDS epidemic first appeared in our country, there is still stigma and ignorance about HIV. We need, as our nation’s chief health educator, someone who will be able to provide unbiased and accurate information about prevention and treatment. Several of the comments Dr. Holsinger has made about homosexuality raise doubts about his ability to be effective in this role as chief health educator, especially if the American people cannot rely on him as a source of unbiased scientific information. Many of our nation’s HIV and AIDS groups, including the New York AIDS Coalition, have stated their opposition to Dr. Holsinger because of these comments. If there is distrust between those who are on the front lines of our prevention efforts and the lead prevention advocate of our federal government, I fear that it will set back our efforts to prevent the more than 40,000 new HIV infections we face annually. 



“I am also concerned about Dr. Holsinger’s management record while serving as Chief Medical Director for the Veterans Health Administration. During his tenure, the General Accounting Office released a report documenting several cases where patients died because of substandard care at the VA. Further, during his tenure as Kentucky’s Secretary for the Cabinet and Family Services, Dr. Holsinger failed to adequately address problems at a state institution for individuals with developmental disabilities, leading the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services to notify the facility that it would be cutting off Medicaid funds due to lack of compliance with federal regulations. 



"This experience does not bode well for the ability of Dr. Holsinger to elevate the quality and standards of public health practice in our nation. Indeed, leading public health advocacy organizations, including the American Public Health Association and the Society for Public Health Education, have stated their opposition to Dr. Holsinger’s nomination.



“At a time when we have so many pressing public health issues facing us, it is critical we have someone who will inspire confidence among patients, providers and the public. Because of the questions that have been raised about Dr. Holsinger’s qualifications and ability to fulfill the duties of the job, I do not believe that he will be able to provide adequate leadership in the public health field as Surgeon General, and I must go on the record as opposing his nomination.”

Dodd also issued a statement about the nomination last month:

“The nomination of James Holsinger demonstrates yet again how this Administration puts politics above the health and well-being of our nation’s citizens. I fear that Dr. Holsinger’s previous comments and actions will prevent him from representing each and every individual—the job of the Surgeon General.The upcoming nomination hearing process will be an opportunity to formally place Dr. Holsinger’s views on the record. The Bush Administration should use the position of the Surgeon General to improve and promote the Nation’s public health not to polarize it.” (The Advocate)