[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 10 (Wednesday, February 11, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S674-S675]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    NOMINATION OF DR. DAVID SATCHER

 Mr. GRAMS. Mr. President, over the course of the debate on Dr. 
Satcher's nomination for Assistant Secretary of Health and Surgeon 
General, Senator Ashcroft and others have expressed some issues of 
concern. First, Dr. Satcher's comments regarding abortion. Second, an 
AZT study in Africa to research alternative treatments for developing 
nations to the costly and inaccessible AZT regimen.
  While I initially had concerns about Dr. Satcher's comments on 
abortion, I wanted to listen to the debate, examine additional written 
responses Dr. Satcher provided to the committee on this issue, and make 
my decision.
  During the committee's consideration of Dr. Satcher, he stated that 
he supports President Clinton in his veto of the ban on partial-birth-
abortions. After the hearings, he tried to back-track.
  In his October 28, 1997 written comments to Senator Frist, Dr. 
Satcher further explained his position on abortion and I'd like to 
quote those remarks.

       Let me state unequivocally that I have no intention of 
     using the positions of Assistant

[[Page S675]]

     Secretary for Health and Surgeon General to promote issues 
     related to abortion. I share no one's political agenda and I 
     want to use the power of these positions to focus on issues 
     that unite Americans--not divide them.

  I am not comforted by this clarification of his position.
  Mr. President, I believe we as a nation require a Surgeon General 
who's position on this issue is one of furthering policies which, at a 
minimum, do not give tacit approval of a procedure that 75 to 80 
percent of Americans agree is barbaric and unneeded.
  With regard to the AZT trials to prevent the maternal-to-infant 
transfer of HIV in Africa, I also share some concerns about the 
protocol set up in this study. Specifically, the use of a placebo 
control group.
  Mr. President, I have always been a strong supporter of medical 
research. I cannot, however, endorse or condone research done in 
developing countries in a manner which we would not conduct it here in 
our own Nation--with our own constituents as the subjects of that 
research.
  Mr. President, I listened to both sides of the arguments and came to 
a conclusion. I have no reason to believe Dr. David Satcher is not 
qualified to serve as Assistant Secretary of Health and Surgeon General 
of the United States. However, I, for the reasons cited earlier, could 
not in good conscience support his nomination.

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