As the Senate considers Surgeon General nominee Nicole Saphier today, the Cato Institute’s Dr. Jeffrey A. Singer argues lawmakers should ask a more fundamental question: Does the United States still need a Surgeon General at all?

In his analysis, Dr. Singer and his coauthors trace how the office evolved from an apolitical supervisor of medical personnel into a prominent platform weighing in on issues ranging from gun policy, social media, and loneliness to labor and housing. They argue that this mission creep has undermined trust in legitimate public health guidance.

The analysis also examines the roughly 6,000-member Public Health Service Commissioned Corps that the Surgeon General oversees, and finds that many of its functions could be performed by civilian employees at lower cost. Dr. Singer and his coauthors recommend eliminating both the Office of the Surgeon General and the Commissioned Corps and transferring legitimate public health responsibilities to other federal agencies.

Dr. Singer also recorded a short explainer video laying out the case for rethinking the office.

If you’re covering today’s hearing and would like to speak with Jeff about the role of the surgeon general, the Commissioned Corps, or whether either is still necessary, I’m happy to connect you.

Best,

Ryan Carver
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