[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 23 (Monday, February 6, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H1270-H1271]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            QUESTIONS ABOUT THE NOMINEE FOR SURGEON GENERAL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Klug). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Colorado [Mr. McInnis] is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, this evening I would like to talk about the 
President's appointment for the Surgeon General of the United States of 
America. I think it is absolutely crucial that the Surgeon General be 
somebody who has a great deal of credibility, and I think that 
credibility is going to be the issue in this nomination.
  As many of us know, the last Surgeon General of the United States, 
Joycelyn Elders, drew a lot of focus off what I think are main health 
care issues of this country by some of the positions that she took. 
Those positions apparently she felt would move this country forward in 
its progress on health care to the average American. But it did not do 
that. What it did do instead was draw attention to the issue of 
abortion or to the issue of sex education and draw attention away from 
the important issues like health care in rural America, like 
immunization for children throughout America, like prenatal programs 
throughout America.
  Well, I am concerned now with the new appointment or the new 
nomination that the President has made that this country is headed down 
the same path. It comes back to the issue of credibility.
  [[Page H1271]] Folks, whether you are pro-choice or whether you are 
pro-life, the focus of the Surgeon General for this country and of that 
nomination process needs to be on credibility. How is the credibility 
going so far with this nomination? Mr. Foster and the people supporting 
this nomination sent information to Senator Nancy Kassebaum, who is the 
chairwoman of the committee which will handle this nomination, saying 
that Dr. Foster was only involved in one abortion, and, in fact, that 
abortion involved saving the life of the mother, hardly objectionable 
in some circles, in some other circles, maybe, but just maybe. But just 
one abortion.
  Then within hours, there is a revision of that statement. Now Dr. 
Foster comes out and says,

       Well, not exactly one abortion, but less than 12 abortions, 
     and not all to save the life of the mother, but mostly to 
     save the life of the mother.

  And now if you read your news reports this evening, a new press 
conference, press release, comes out. It seems Dr. Foster served on a 
panel in 1978 under which testimony was taken from a Dr. Foster, and he 
was the only Dr. Foster on that panel where that Dr. Foster boasts or 
talks of performing up to 700 abortions.
  What is the truth, Dr. Foster?
  President Clinton said, if, and he is referring to Dr. Foster, he has 
done what he said he has done, the abortion issue should not be a 
disqualification. Well, Mr. President, has he done what he said he has 
done?
  He did not do one abortion. He did less than 12. And if the evidence 
shows 1 more abortion than 12, then the issue should leave abortion and 
go immediately to the center focus of credibility.
  Why do I stand up here today in front of you talking about that 
issue? Because, doggone it, folks, we have got a lot of people in rural 
America that need a Surgeon General that will address the health care 
issues of this country. We need a Surgeon General who is going to focus 
on health care issues and not this abortion issue.
  The abortion issue cannot continue to be the focus of the Surgeon 
General's office with the kind of health crisis we have in every State 
in this country.
  If the Surgeon General nominee is not telling the truth, if, in fact, 
it has now gone over 12, he has an obligation to the United States of 
America to step forward and announce the withdrawal of his nomination. 
If the President of this country determines that his nominee for 
Surgeon General has, in fact, been less than straightforward, has, in 
fact, performed more of these procedures than he admits to, then it is 
the President's obligation not to stand by his nominee, but to stand by 
the country and say, ``Your credibility has now been damaged to the 
extent by credible evidence, by the way, that it cannot be repaired. 
You must then step down as my nominee.''
  Mr. President, do us a favor. If your nominee is not being straight 
with us, dump him, and move on to somebody who is qualified to do this 
job, and whom the No. 1 question that is asked of him will not pertain 
to their credibility.


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