Politicizing the Surgeon General

BY RUBY ARORA

Ebola took the world by storm a few months ago, and panic has since spread like wildfire through Africa, Europe, and the United States. From Eric Duncan to Nina Pham, each successive case of Ebola in the U.S. shocked American citizens and contributed to the Ebola pandemonium. After the first domestic outbreak, Americans looked to Dr. Thomas Frieden of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for support and leadership. After the botched response to the first case of Ebola in Texas, Dr. Francis Collins of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) replaced Dr. Frieden as the new the face of the American response to Ebola. To further coordinate any potential outbreaks in the United States, President Barack Obama appointed Ron Klain as “Ebola czar.” As the United States struggles to find an adequate medical leader to address the Ebola outbreak, one key figure is missing. In the midst of this crisis, where is the nation’s top doctor? Where is our Surgeon General?

President Barack Obama nominated Dr. Vivek Murthy as Surgeon General about a year ago. His credentials are anything but lacking: Ivy League graduate, co-chair of Doctors for America, and attending physician and faculty member at Harvard Medical School, all by age 36. Dr. Murthy’s experience suggests that he is capable of overseeing the national public health response and providing Americans with up-to-date health information. So why has this seemingly flawless candidate not yet been confirmed as Surgeon General? Dr. Murthy, like the majority of Americans, supports expanded gun safety measures, such as an assault weapons ban, safety training, and limits on ammunition. Threatened by Dr. Murthy’s “blatant activism on behalf of gun control,” the National Rifle Association (NRA) has been using its power as a political lobbying group to oppose his conformation as Surgeon General. In order for Dr. Murthy to be confirmed as Surgeon General, his nomination must pass by a majority vote in the Senate. Since his nomination, the NRA has been collaborating with pro-guns rights senators to engineer a filibuster. Although the Democrats in the Senate had the numbers to pass Dr. Murthy’s nomination, several Democrats in red states feared that angering the NRA would affect their ratings. To further bolster the opposition to Murthy, the NRA announced that they would score Dr. Murthy’s confirmation vote. The NRA ranks Congressmen on their voting record for gun rights; members of Congress receive grades ranging from A to F. In stating that they would lower the score of all those who approved Dr. Murthy’s appointment, the NRA scared off the necessary majority in the Senate, leaving the nation without a Surgeon General in its time of need.

Never before has the NRA expressed such opposition to a Surgeon General nominee. And rightfully so, as there is very little overlap between the Surgeon General position and firearm legislation. Yet, the NRA has a long history of poking its nose where it does not belong. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has not had a permanent director since 2006 because of opposition from the NRA. Beyond federal officials’ nominations, the NRA frequently intervenes in politics to serve the interests of the greater gun industry. In 2013, the NRA successfully banned firearm registries that “collect data on guns used in crimes.” The NRA campaigned for and passed legislation that “froze federal funding for research on gun violence” that persisted until President Obama overrode it after the Sandy Hook shooting. In 2011, an NRA lobbyist crafted a “pediatrician gag law” that prevents physicians from questioning families about guns in the home, even though almost 9 children are killed every day in gun-related accidents.

Gun violence is and always has been a public health issue. Every year, over 30,000 people die from firearm-related deaths. The American College of Physicians states that “firearm violence is not only a criminal justice issue but also a public health threat.” Because gun violence is so closely connected with mental health, there has been a forceful call-to-action for physicians to “become more active in counseling patients about firearm safety” and in recognizing the precursors of violent behavior. The gun violence epidemic is exactly the kind of crisis we want our Surgeon General addressing. The NRA has no business interfering with a position that has absolutely no influence over the legislative side of firearm control. The NRA is completely overstepping its bounds by opposing Dr. Murthy’s nomination. The fate of our Surgeon General, the top medical position in the country, should not lie in the hands of a gun rights lobbying group. We need more individuals like Dr. Murthy who can stand in the crosshairs to speak out about issues that matter. That sort of open discussion and change can only occur when our government officials stop representing the interests of special industries and lobbying groups and start representing the interests of their constituents.