The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee advanced President Donald Trump’s nominee for surgeon general, Dr. Nicole Saphier, in a 12-11 party-line vote on Wednesday. The decision sends her nomination to the full Senate for a final vote, following her testimony before the committee earlier this month.
Saphier’s confirmation comes after she clarified her stance on childhood vaccines, including the MMR vaccine, which she described as “our greatest tool for combating measles infections.” During her testimony, she explicitly stated that she does not believe childhood vaccines cause autism and that the MMR vaccine is not lethal, contradicting prior remarks made by President Trump.
The committee’s vote, originally scheduled for September 24, was postponed due to scheduling conflicts among members. No Democratic senators supported advancing her nomination, while all 12 Republican members voted in favor.
Dr. Saphier, a radiologist specializing in breast cancer and former Fox News medical contributor, has been a vocal critic of public health authorities’ handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. She previously authored the book Make America Healthy Again: How Bad Behavior and Big Government Caused a Trillion-Dollar Crisis (2020). President Trump has praised her as a “STAR physician” and an “INCREDIBLE COMMUNICATOR” who simplifies complex health issues for the public.
The advancement of Saphier’s nomination follows Trump’s withdrawal of a prior nominee, Casey Means, whose confirmation had stalled amid opposition from GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana. Cassidy, who chairs the HELP Committee, had initially supported Means despite her alignment with vaccine skeptic and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Trump publicly criticized Cassidy at the time, calling him “a very disloyal person.” Cassidy ultimately supported Kennedy’s confirmation after the senator expressed concerns over Kennedy’s vaccine skepticism.
Sen. Cassidy emphasized during Saphier’s hearing that he sought assurances about her vaccine positions, which she provided. The committee’s decision reflects a strategic shift in Trump’s nominees to align with mainstream public health stances, particularly on vaccination.