Trump's surgeon general nominee Casey Means goes before US Senate panel

By Ahmed Aboulenein

WASHINGTON, Feb 25 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's nominee for U.S. surgeon general, Casey Means, on Wednesday backed his administration's focus on changing American dietary habits and the view that vaccines and other medicines, including birth control, should be given after discussions with doctors.

Means, an ally of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., told senators in her confirmation hearing that the U.S. needs to address the causes of chronic disease, which she attributed in part to ultra-processed foods and the overuse of medicine.

She sidestepped questions about studying the abortion pill mifepristone, RSV vaccines for babies, and cautiously addressed debunked links between vaccines and autism promoted by Kennedy, a longtime anti-vaccine activist.

MEANS: CUMULATIVE VACCINE USE NEEDS STUDY

Means said individual vaccines have not been shown through science to cause autism, but that science evolves and cumulative use of vaccines should be studied.

"I believe that vaccines are a key part of any infectious disease public health strategy," she said. "Anti-vaccine rhetoric has never been a part of my message."

She expressed support specifically for vaccines against measles, currently at levels not seen in decades in the U.S., and other diseases.

Asked about previous comments she made about birth control being overused in the United States, Means said birth control medications should be accessible to all women, but that patients should be having conversations with doctors about the risks of hormonal contraceptives.

The 38-year-old wellness influencer was originally set to appear before the Senate's Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee in October, but the hearing was rescheduled after she went into labor at 40 weeks pregnant.

As the nation's doctor, Means would, if confirmed, advise Americans on evidence-based health practices to reduce illness and injury risks. She and her brother, Calley Means, a Trump administration adviser on food policy, are close allies of Kennedy and vocal supporters of his "Make America Healthy Again" initiative.

TARGETS CHEMICAL EXPOSURE, CHRONIC DISEASE FACTORS

Casey Means described the U.S. as being in a public health crisis that needs to be confronted.

"Public health leaders must address the evidence-based modifiable drivers of chronic diseases, which include ultra-processed foods, industrial chemical exposure, lack of physical activity, chronic stress and loneliness and overmedicalization," she said.

Means blamed sugar for much of the nation's health problems.

"I think that we have a monumental blood sugar problem in this country that underlies most of the leading causes of death in this country, dementia, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, are all connected by metabolic dysfunction, elevated blood sugar," she said.

Means is Trump's second nominee for the role after withdrawing his prior pick, Janette Nesheiwat, in May. Both nominations have faced opposition from far-right activists, including Laura Loomer, as well as establishment voices who have raised questions about her views.

She has advocated for the consumption of raw milk, repeatedly echoed Kennedy's unscientific claims linking vaccines to autism, and criticized the use of birth control pills.

"We need a surgeon general who has the courage to take on President Trump and Secretary Kennedy and say, no, it is wrong to throw 15 million (people) off of healthcare, it's wrong to double premiums for 20 million more Americans, it's wrong to spread misinformation about vaccines," said Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, the ranking Democrat on the committee.

Means said she has treated thousands of patients over 15 years in clinic settings, operating rooms, and her private practice.

STANFORD GRADUATE

Means graduated from Stanford University School of Medicine but left her surgical residency early. Her Oregon medical license is listed as "inactive," a status Means describes as voluntary since she is not currently practicing medicine.

Means co-founded Levels, a health-tech app, and holds shares in Truemed, a company owned by her brother that assists patients in obtaining tax advantages for advanced health treatments.

She has pledged in her disclosure filings with the Office of Government Ethics to resign from Levels and divest her financial interests in both companies should she be confirmed.

Kennedy lauded Means during an FDA event on Tuesday as having "an extraordinary capacity to communicate to the American public" and expressed confidence she would be confirmed.

"We've been waiting for a long time for Dr. Means to come on board," he said.