[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 155 (Friday, November 7, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12054-S12055]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   DELAY OF DR. DAVID SATCHER'S CONFIRMATION AS SURGEON GENERAL AND 
                     ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR HEALTH

 Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I want to express my concern at 
the delay in the vote on the nomination of David Satcher to be Surgeon 
General and Assistant Secretary for Health. I understand that some 
Senators have placed holds on the nomination.
  Dr. Satcher is an excellent choice for these positions. He is a 
respected family doctor, respected scholar, and respected public health 
leader. For the past 4 years, he has ably led the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention, the agency responsible for protecting the 
Nation's health and preventing disease, injury, and premature death.
  In 1992, under Dr. Satcher's leadership, CDC developed and 
implemented a very successful childhood immunization initiative. Before 
the initiative, only a little more than half the Nation's children--55 
percent--were immunized. Today, the figure is 78 percent, and vaccine-
preventable childhood diseases are now at record lows.
  Dr. Satcher has also led CDC efforts to deal more effectively with 
infectious diseases and food-borne illnesses. We rely heavily on CDC to 
provide the rapid response needed to combat outbreaks of disease and 
protect public safety. Under Dr. Satcher, CDC is implementing a new 
strategy against infectious diseases and a new early warning system to 
deal with food-borne illnesses.
  Prior to his appointment to CDC, Dr. Satcher was president of Meharry 
Medical College in Nashville, the Nation's largest private historically 
black institution for educating health care professionals and 
biomedical researchers. He previously served as professor and chairman 
of the Department of Community Medicine and Family Practice at the 
Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta. He also has been a faculty 
member at the UCLA School of Medicine and the King/Drew Medical Center 
in Los Angeles, and interim dean of the Drew Postgraduate Medical 
School.
  Dr. Satcher's range of skills and experience and his strong 
commitment to improving public health make him extremely well qualified 
to be the country's principal official on health care and health policy 
issues--America's Doctor. He's an excellent choice to be Surgeon 
General and Assistant Secretary for Health.
  Dr. Satcher's nomination has received broad bipartisan support. He's 
been endorsed by a large number of health provider groups, including 
the American Medical Association, the American Nurses Association, 
numerous academic health centers, and public health organizations.
  Despite these endorsements, a few detractors have emerged and I want 
to take a few moments to address their concerns.
  Some colleagues have questioned Dr. Satcher's views on abortion. This 
was not an issue at his confirmation hearing, but some Senators are 
using the controversial and unconstitutional ``Partial-Birth Abortion 
Ban Act'' to attack his credibility.
  Dr. Satcher believes--as do most Americans--that abortions should be 
safe, legal, and rare. His position reflects 25 years of medical 
experience and is consistent with Supreme Court decisions.
  In fact, Dr. Satcher supports a ban on late-term abortions. But he 
shares President Clinton's view that ``if there are risks for severe 
health consequences for the mother, then the decision [to have an 
abortion] should not be made by the government, but by the woman in 
conjunction with her family and physician.''
  Dr. Satcher's position on this issue is shared by the American 
College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Medical 
Women's Association, the American Nurses Association, and the American 
Public Health Association.
  Some in the Republican leadership have raised this issue in an 
attempt to defeat an outstanding nominee. Instead of resolving the 
late-term abortion issue months ago, they would rather play politics 
with Dr. Satcher's nomination and the lives and health of American 
women.
  The nation faces significant public health challenges. Our national 
infant mortality rate is at a record low, but it is still higher than 
that of many countries. Despite recent declines in the teenage birth 
rate, the U.S rate is still the highest in the industrial world.
  Similarly, in the case of childhood immunization, the rate nationwide 
may be the highest ever, but in many communities, less than half of 2-
year-olds are adequately immunized.
  The country needs a medical leader whom people can trust to advise 
them

[[Page S12055]]

on their health care. For over two years, the Office of Surgeon General 
has been vacant. It is irresponsible to put partisanship ahead of 
public health and safety.
  Dr. Satcher is an excellent choice to be the Nation's Doctor. I look 
forward to working closely with him, and I urge the Senate to move 
expeditiously to approve this nomination, so that we can deal more 
effectively with the country's important health challenges. I am 
confident that Dr. Satcher will serve America well. He deserves to be 
confirmed now, before this session of Congress ends.

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