Why Don't We Have a Surgeon General?

We don't have a Surgeon General, but we have a potential flu pandemic facing us. The President nominated Dr. Regina Benjamin in early July to be the Surgeon General. The Senate HELP committee unanimously approved her earlier this month. Her nomination is being delayed by Republicans over actions taken by the Administration to hold Humana accountable for sending messages to seniors scaring them about health reform.

What's wrong with this picture? There is no real substantive reason to hold up Dr. Benjamin's nomination (if there were, the Republicans on the HELP committee would have voted no). She is a selfless physician, who has devoted her life to her patients in rural Alabama. However, due to a Senate rule, Senators can hold up a nomination or piece of legislation using a variety of different procedural tools. Senator Enzi of Wyoming's office denies it was he who put the hold on her nomination, but per Senate rules, the delay is not technically a "secret hold" but another procedural rule related to the time allotted for debate on the floor. Whatever it is called, it is a delay, and it is an attempt to hold the Surgeon General confirmation hostage until issues that the Republicans have with the Administration are resolved. They are not yet resolved, according to the Republicans.

In a Sept. 24 letter, we do know that Enzi and seven other Republican lawmakers indicated they would block the full Senate from voting on nominees for key health posts until the dispute was settled. Last week, the Department of Health and Human Services gave ground, saying those companies could furnish information on pending legislation as long as customers can opt out of receiving it.

But "many questions remain," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the letter's lead signer, said in a Monday speech.

For Enzi, the review is needed to see how the administration's new policy is being implemented, [his spokesperson Michael] Mahaffey said Wednesday. Asked how long that review might take, he referred the question to McConnell's office, where a spokesman did not reply to e-mail and phone messages.

In the meantime, Enzi will continue to support the delay in voting on Benjamin and other candidates for health posts, Mahaffey said...

There is something terribly wrong when a political minority can hold up a nomination when it has the potential to affect a nation's health. The Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius and Janet Napolitano, the head of Homeland Security, are both overwhelmed with health reform and security issues in the U.S., and neither one is a physician .Rachel Maddow brought this issue up on her show on Monday, October 26, but there has been relatively little other media attention to this problem until this week.

You may well ask what the Surgeon General does. In addition to being in charge of more than 6000 public health workers and coordinating a variety of health programs among federal agencies, the position is primarily one of leadership. The Surgeon General could be providing the leadership that is needed to expedite vaccine production and help communicate to the American public about the threats of the H1N1 virus. But there is no one in that role.

We need to expose Senator Enzi and his colleagues for the game they are playing with America's health. You can contact Senator Enzi by calling one of his offices or that of Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and ask that there be no further delays and that the confirmation of Dr. Benjamin and the other health care nominees be expedited.

Cross-posted at Daily Kos.

Comments

[weatherwaxx]

We do now!

http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2009pres/10/20091029b.html


The question is, why has this blog been sitting on this news for two days?

[ephoenix5]

I know this is ridiculous. There needs to be a rule that nominations need to be decided one way or another in 30 days. These are top people that are needed at the head of the agencies. What ridiculousness to allow indefinite delays.

[FirstShirt]

http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/

Here is the website for the Surgeon General. Read it. HHS and the CDC have things in hand. It is not the hysterical crisis depicted here.

[shivadas]

Are you saying that the Republican obstruction in this case is okay?

[2good4u]

Since obviously you are reading this I have something to say. I am totally beginning to wonder about your loyalties to the Dem. You seem to be going more to the center and leaning to the right lately.

[FirstShirt]

Old Johnny Cash song: The one on the right was in the middle, the one in the middle was on the right. The one in the back was on the left and the one in the front was a methodist. Or something to that effect.

You aren't blocked now sweetheart but you are wasting alot of space with your angst.

[2good4u]

Everytime I say something Huffington blocks me.. Thanks Huff.

[2good4u]

Keep all of this in mind when election comes around. The GOP feel that the majority of the people don't know this and it is true. And they are also counting on those of us who do know not to care anymore at election time. This particular situation should be made into a commercial run in all 50 states. Oh, and one about Leiberman also, although that man has no shame. It is time that everytime the GOP tries to hold up important legislation or appointments for no discernable reason that it is made public, loudly not just stated in a blog.

[janeycat]

I just sent email to both Enzi and McConnell reminding them that holding the government positions hostage is not acceptable.and also reminded then that election time will be here before we know it.Reminded them that Dr.Regina Benjamin has already been approved for Surgeon General and reminded them that people are dying everyday from Swine Flu and if the position of Surgeon General was filled she could expedite the making of the Swine Flu vaccine.

It could help....i tried anyway

[Rastaman1967]

unfortunately, this is the where we are as a country and we continue to say we're a democracy...folks, the American people unfortunately will always be held hostage by a few, who we elected to represent the people. Until Americans decide what is important and what nonsense we will not tolerate anymore...don't get upset, it will just continue the way they are.

When Ideology trumps the well being of the people...that is a formula for disaster. For 8 years, ideology, arrogance and greed was the driving force behind the decisions made by our government...look where it has gotten us.

America, decide what it is you really want or else you'll continue to settle for the nonsense that our elected officials are carrying on with.

[Budokan]

Until Democravens in congress start cracking some conservative heads, expect this trend to continue....

[Rog49Thomas]

If we're not going to have real health care reform, why have a Surgeon General?

Money that's saved could be spent on more important things like another tax cut for Paris Hilton or a no bid contract for David Lesar!

[Smithn]

FYI: Obstructionist Enzi is one of the 'Dirty 30' republicans who voted for rape by voting against Franken's anti-rape amendment.

[classicalmusicman]

I've been beating this dead horse for a while here. The Senate is an anachronism. It's useless. A bicameral legislature is a harbinger of a failed government fated only to muddy the waters and accomplish nothing. To my knowledge, only the US is saddled with such an absurdity. Beyond that, the Senate rules are an anachronism within an anachronism. Why is no one openly questioning them? Why is no one questioning the very existence of a filibuster? Why is no one questioning the absurdity of the ability to put on holds?

Americans don't get it. They claim to be against government, so they endorse systems guaranteed to make it not work or not work well. What they don't realize is power abhors a vacuum. When a legislature can't function, power goes to courts, agencies, and who knows where else. The power remains--s­omewhere--­but transparency is lost. Someone asked how the SG's job is being filled without the SG. Good question. Because we don't know. There is no transparency, no accountability because of the existence of an anachronistic Senate with anachronistic rules, set for and by an organization that functions almost like a secret society.

And did I mention that because of its 2-members-per-state makeup that the Senate is innately biased toward rural and underpopulated areas? What nonsense. No wonder the US can't "do" cities well. And it can't.

[den1953]

Which point would be seriously taken if one was asked the opposite why do we need a surgeon general if all these months have gone by without one why have one things seem to be running fine without one!

[Mason]

Yah, sure. You betcha. Things are running beautifully.

Of course, there's the rather inconvenient matter of more than 1,000 deaths from swine flu, most of them children, that prompted President Obama to declare a national emergency. We don't know why children are hit the hardest, but they are. And now we're running out of the H1N1 vaccine when our children need it the most. We've been told that more vaccine will be available sometime after the first of the year, but that might be too late to do much good. Overall, I'm not satisfied with the explanations for the supply shortage and delays. I also wonder how many of the dead were uninsured and waited to seek medical care until it was too late to do any good, or were sent home by an ER doctor with instructions to stay in bed and take Tylenol to reduce fever instead of admitting and intubating the patient in the hospital.

We desperately need a Surgeon General to find out what's going on and fix it.

I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but I have to admit that I'm very suspicious of these circumstances and don't for a minute believe Senator McConnel's excuses for blocking Dr. Benjamin's confirmation.

[rfshunt]

Hey, look it's sunny out! Who needs a roof anyway.

[1088]

Until we the people get serious about helping the President succeed, the Hate party will win, for the President cannot do it all by himself, you know. We have to be aggressive on everything!! There are over 35 people that are still sitting to be confirm, which is held up by the hate party.

[GunnyJ]

Fanned. The public is being seriously hood winked by the Republicans through the smoke screen of spending, debt and big government which oh by the way they had a majority hand in creating. It's more than the SG being held up by these goons, yes goons because that's what they're acting like. The Republicans are sore losers and now that they want to crash and burn everything. If we don't wake up and like you say "get serious about helping the President succeed" we are doomed. This (for Republicans) is about keeping the status quo which keeps their pockets lined with our hard earned cashed. For Republicans politics is not a call to public service, it's a well paying job!
OK, I feel better now.

[WakingLife]

I wasn't aware of this at all. Thank you for talking about this. This is terrible.

[janeycat]

I am aware of this and lots more but sense a few people on hopo have took me to the wood shead over my spelling and use of grammer i am almost afraid to say much, sometimes i get going and comment on things,but am always very aware and conscince and use my spell check ALL the time.....

there are other places that dont get on me so much and laugh at me....but i do get involved and always write letters to people to try to help our situtation in the US

[janeycat]

sorry so sorry forgot to check it
my mind gets foggy.....old age

[lastpost]

“There is something terribly wrong when a political minority can hold up a nomination when it has the potential to affect a nation's health.”

If a politician considerers that they constitute the ultimate and capable arbiter of a nation’s health and wellbeing requirements. Then surely, for the duration of the period in which they prevent selection of an individual to fill that post. Should not they be required to fulfil the day to day and ongoing duties of that office? And, be held responsible to the people for any acts or errors occurring during their discharging of that duty?
Otherwise what we are witnessing here, is a Senator without responsibility.