Casey Means faces Senate HELP Committee

Casey Means, President Trump’s nominee to be surgeon general, had a confirmation hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee last week.

The big picture: Means leaned into MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) priorities. Her testimony focused on the rise of chronic disease and the need for “restoring wholeness for Americans – physically, mentally, and societally.”

• She noted, “Mental and physical health are unraveling from shared root causes that we can fix.”

The details:

• Psychedelics: Sen. Collins asked Means whether she stood by her book’s recommendation for psychedelics. Means responded that because the science is still emerging on psychedelic therapy for mental health, she would not recommend it to Americans as surgeon general. She noted that there is promising work being done on the issue and that continued research is needed. She also said that the illicit drug use problem is severe and that she would work on the issue.
• Maternal mental health: Sen. Murray noted that mental health and substance use disorders are the leading cause of maternal death in the U.S. and asked if Means believes that SSRIs are dangerous for pregnant women, despite evidence that they are safe and the risk of untreated mental health conditions. Means encouraged patients to have nuanced conversations with their doctors.
• Technology and youth mental health: In response to questions from Sen. Husted, Means said research is showing a profound, negative impact of social media on children and that we need to protect children from premature use of technology that is associated with mental health issues. She said parents, communities, schools, and government need to exert an abundance of caution and be proactive about protecting children. Sen. Marshall asked Means to consider a warning label and age limits for social media, and Means committed to working on the issue. Sen. Hawley asked about studying the effects of AI chatbots on mental health for minors, and Means emphasized the need to protect children.
• Credentials and conflicts of interest: Some senators questioned Means’ credentials, as she abandoned residency training and has an inactive medical license. She became a wellness influencer and health entrepreneur, and a few senators asked questions about potential conflicts of interest and lack of disclosure related to her businesses.

Next steps: The Senate HELP Committee will vote on whether to advance Means’ nomination to a vote in the full Senate for confirmation.

• Means does not yet have enough votes locked down for confirmation.

Read more: Casey Means, a MAHA leader, makes bid to be nation’s top doctor; Surgeon general nominee and senator face off over vaccines and ‘shared decision-making’; Senate HELP with Surgeon General Nominee Means