President Donald Trump’s pick to serve as America’s top doctor will finally face senators Wednesday in a confirmation hearing that was delayed for months due to childbirth.
Casey Means, the 38-year-old nominee for U.S. Surgeon General, was initially scheduled to testify before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee back in October. However, the session was postponed when she delivered her baby at full term.
If senators approve her nomination, Means would take on the role of providing Americans with science-based health guidance aimed at preventing disease and injuries. She works closely with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and strongly backs his “Make America Healthy Again” campaign, alongside her brother Calley Means, who advises the Trump administration on nutrition policy.
This marks Trump’s second attempt to fill the surgeon general position after he pulled his earlier choice, Janette Nesheiwat, in May. Both selections have drawn criticism from conservative activists like Laura Loomer and traditional political figures who question her positions.
The nominee has promoted drinking unpasteurized milk, repeatedly supported Kennedy’s debunked theories connecting vaccines to autism, and spoken against hormonal contraceptives.
In testimony prepared for her original October appearance, Means described herself as both a wellness advocate and licensed physician who has cared for thousands of patients across 15 years in hospitals, surgical suites, and private practice. The committee has not posted any revised testimony for Wednesday’s hearing.
The Stanford University School of Medicine graduate left her surgical training program before completion. Her Oregon medical credentials are currently listed as “inactive,” which Means explains is by choice since she’s not actively seeing patients.
Means helped start Levels, a health technology application, and owns stock in Truemed, her brother’s business that helps customers get tax breaks for specialized medical treatments.
She has promised in ethics documents to step down from Levels and sell her ownership stakes in both businesses if confirmed to the federal post.
During a Food and Drug Administration gathering Tuesday, Kennedy praised Means for having “an extraordinary capacity to communicate to the American public” and said he expects her confirmation to succeed.
“We’ve been waiting for a long time for Dr. Means to come on board,” he said.
