Senators question Trump's picks for top health positions, including surgeon general

Dr. Nicole Saphier, Trump's nominee for surgeon general. John Lamparski/Getty Images hide caption

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The Senate committee on health meets this morning to consider three of the Trump administration's picks for top jobs at the Department of Health and Human Services, including deputy secretary and surgeon general.

If you're having deja vu, that's because there was a similar hearing seven months ago on the nomination of Dr. Casey Means for surgeon general. After a last-minute cancellation of her first confirmation hearing because she went into labor, and a contentious hearing in February, support for her nomination fell apart and the committee never voted.

Means was the second nominee for the position. President Trump's first choice, Fox News medical contributor Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, was dropped after questions were raised about her academic credentials. On Wednesday, senators will consider Trump's third pick, Dr. Nicole Saphier, a radiologist, for the surgeon general position.

Also testifying before senators Wednesday is Chris Klomp, a former health tech executive who's been running much of the day-to-day operations of HHS since February. He's the nominee to serve as deputy secretary of HHS. Klomp is not a media personality or politician, but since joining the Trump administration initially as the director of the Center for Medicare, he's risen through the ranks with a reputation as a pragmatic and effective leader. If Tuesday's confirmation hearing in the Senate Finance Committee is any indication, senators will grill Klomp on measles, abortion medication, drug prices, and vaccines.

The third nominee up for consideration is Dr. Timothy Westlake, a Wisconsin-based emergency medicine physician, who's been nominated to serve as assistant secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use.

The elephant in the room will be Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose relationship with Congress, and with this committee in particular, is strained. Kennedy made many promises during his own confirmation hearing that he has subsequently broken . His appearances before the committee have been infrequent, and when they happen, they've been chaotic and combative.