American Public Health Association Opposes Bush Surgeon

[Guest guest]

Politics and Policy | HIV Medicine Association, Other Groups Oppose

Bush Surgeon General Nominee [Jul 12, 2007]

The HIV Medicine Association and other groups -- including the

American Public Health Association and some gay and lesbian

organizations -- have announced their opposition to President Bush's

surgeon general nominee, Holsinger, ahead of his Senate

confirmation hearing on Thursday, Reuters/Scientific American reports

(Dunham, Reuters/Scientific American, 7/11). Thirty-five House members

also have expressed their opposition to Holsinger's nomination,

according to the AP/International Herald Tribune (AP/International

Herald Tribune, 7/12). Bush nominated Holsinger on May 24 to succeed

former Surgeon General Carmona, who ended his term last year

with no replacement.

HIVMA, APHA, the Human Rights Campaign, the National Gay and Lesbian

Task Force and other groups in their opposition to Holsinger cite in

part a document he wrote in 1991 called the " Pathophysiology of Male

Homosexuality, " according to Reuters/Scientific American. The document

was written to a United Methodist Church panel studying homosexuality

(Reuters/Scientific American, 7/11). In the document, which focuses on

anatomy and the reproductive system, Holsinger wrote that the " varied

sexual practices of homosexual men have resulted in a diverse and

expanded concept of sexually transmitted disease and associated

trauma " (AP/International Herald Tribune, 7/12). Holsinger also called

anal sex unnatural and gave an anatomical explanation.

HIVMA, which has 3,600 members, announced its opposition to Holsinger

on Monday (Reuters/Scientific American, 7/11). Holsinger's

" perspective on homosexuality places him well outside the medical

mainstream and raises questions about his ability to provide national

leadership on behalf of all of our nation's people and to address one

of our country's most critical public health problems, " HIVMA Chair

Kuritzkes wrote in a letter to Senate Health, Education, Labor

and Pensions Committee Chair Kennedy (D-Mass.). He added,

" These views are of particular concern because of the disproportionate

impact of HIV/AIDS on men who have sex with men, especially gay men of

color, as we try to reduce the 40,000 new HIV infections in the nation

each year " (HIVMA release, 7/9).

APHA, which has 50,000 members, announced its opposition to Holsinger

on Wednesday on similar grounds. " At a time when one of our

association's top priorities is to eliminate disparities in health,

including disparities in the gay and lesbian community, we cannot

support a nominee with discredited and nonevidence-based views on

sexuality, " APHA Executive Director s wrote in a letter

to the Senate HELP committee (Reuters/Scientific American, 7/11).

Former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop and the American College of

Physicians have expressed their support for Holsinger. HHS officials

have said that Holsinger more than 17 years ago was asked to compile

data on health issues facing MSM. " Since then, the science has

deepened with continued research on these issues, " HHS spokesperson

Pearson said, adding that Holsinger " remains focused on

addressing the health of all in need, including gay and lesbian

populations, consistent with sound science and the best medical

practices " (AP/International Herald Tribune, 7/12).

Online The New York Times on Thursday published an opinion piece by

five experts suggesting 15 questions senators should ask Holsinger,

including ones dealing with HIV/AIDS and needle-exchange programs.

Kennedy, Rep. Waxman Write HHS Secretary Leavitt Asking for Documents

Related to Surgeon General Carmona's Tenure

In related news, Kennedy and Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) on Wednesday

wrote to HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt and asked for documents relating

to Carmona's tenure as surgeon general (Reuters/Scientific American,

7/11). Carmona on Tuesday in a hearing with the House Committee on

Oversight and Government Reform said the Bush administration routinely

blocked him from speaking about or issuing reports on certain issues

-- including human embryonic stem cell research, abstinence-only sex

education, emergency contraception and other sensitive public health

topics -- while he was serving in the position. Carmona, a former

professor of surgery and public health at the University of Arizona,

was nominated by Bush to serve as surgeon general from 2002 to 2006

(Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 7/11). Waxman asked for the documents

by July 25 and Kennedy by July 27 (Reuters/Scientific American, 7/11).

Online Kennedy's letter and Waxman's letter are available online.

Note: You will need Adobe Acrobat to view Waxman's letter.

NPR's " Morning Edition " on Thursday reported on issues related to

Holsinger's nomination, including objections from HRC and other

groups. The segment includes comments from Wyatt, dean of the

University of Kentucky College of Public Health; Joe Solmonese, HRC

president; and Kemplin, who was a project manager in Holsinger's

office when he was chancellor of University of Kentucky (Silberner,

" Morning Edition, " NPR, 7/12). Audio and a partial transcript of the

segment are available online.

Editorials

Several newspapers published editorials in reaction to Carmona's

comments. Summaries appear below.

* New York Times: Carmona's testimony " sounds so ham-handedly

partisan that it would be laughable if it weren't so damaging to the

public's understanding of important public health issues, " a Times

editorial says. House and Senate oversight committees " must look for

ways to protect " the surgeon general from " future political

interference, " the Times writes, adding that Congress could give the

surgeon general's office its own staff and budget and could " ban any

effort to censor or delay the surgeon general's reports and speeches "

(New York Times, 7/12).

* Philadelphia Inquirer: " What happened to Carmona was a sickening

politicization of an appointed post that should be a source of

unassailable credibility on public health issues, " and it " fits a

pattern in the Bush White House of willfully ignoring science when the

research clashes with political goals, " an Inquirer editorial says.

The editorial concludes that Congress should take actions to ensure

the surgeon general is " on call for the public, not for a political

party " (Philadelphia Inquirer, 7/12).

* USA Today: Although it does not " speak well of Carmona that he

accepted the muzzling " of the Bush administration, his

" forthrightness " is " at least timely " because of confirmation hearings

scheduled for his nominated successor, Holsinger. The editorial

concludes that despite difficulties in " bucking " a president's policy,

" independent leaders " are needed to protect the public's health (USA

Today, 7/12).

* Wall Street Journal: Officials of any administration are

" expected " to " support the policies of an elected president, " and if

Carmona " really thinks that the surgeon general should be above

politics, 'naive' is not the first adjective that comes to mind, " a

Journal editorial says. If Carmona " disagreed so profoundly " with

Bush's policies, he could have resigned or spoke " up anyway and

face[d] the consequences, " the editorial says, concluding that either

option would have been " more honorable " than his " late hit on the

president who appointed him " (Wall Street Journal, 7/12).

http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=46157