WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee advanced Nicole Saphier's nomination for surgeon general to the full Senate on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. The committee voted 12 to 11 to advance Saphier's nomination.

Senate HELP Committee Republicans hold a 12-11 majority. Senator Bill Cassidy is the chairman of the Senate HELP Committee. Senator Bernie Sanders is the ranking member of the Senate HELP Committee.

President Trump nominated Saphier in April 2026. Saphier is President Trump's third nominee for surgeon general. President Trump withdrew his previous nomination of Casey Means after it stalled for months. Casey Means is an ally of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Donald Trump said Means is “an INCREDIBLE COMMUNICATOR, who makes complicated health issues more easily understood by all Americans.”

Senator Bill Cassidy supported the confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health and Human Services Secretary. Senator Bill Cassidy opposed Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s vaccine policy changes, including an updated CDC website suggesting a possible link between vaccines and autism, which he criticized as undermining public trust in immunization. Senator Bill Cassidy, a physician, has historically emphasized evidence-based medicine and expressed concerns about vaccine hesitancy during his questioning of Saphier on the MMR vaccine and hepatitis B recommendations.

Senator Bill Cassidy said on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that Saphier had earned his vote. “When somebody is willing to be honest to the American people and say that vaccines are safe, you should be taking it, and the consequence of not can even include death, well, what else can you ask for when it comes to vaccines?” Cassidy said.

Saphier is a radiologist and director of breast imaging at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Monmouth. Saphier was a Fox News medical contributor until her nomination. Saphier holds a doctor of medicine degree from Ross University School of Medicine and completed fellowships at the Mayo Clinic and residency at Maricopa Integrated Health Systems.

Why It Matters

The advancement of Saphier's nomination reflects the partisan dynamics within the Senate HELP Committee, where a single-seat Republican majority determines the outcome of key health nominations. The vote reflects ongoing tensions between the White House and committee leadership regarding nominee selection and public health policy direction.

The nomination process has drawn attention to differing views on vaccine policy and public health communication. Saphier's background as a media contributor and author of a book criticizing pandemic responses places her at the center of debates over scientific consensus and government health mandates.

Timeline

In 2020, Saphier authored a book titled "Make America Healthy Again: How Bad Behavior and Big Government Caused a Trillion-Dollar Crisis." Earlier in September 2026, Saphier testified before the Senate HELP Committee. During that testimony, she called the MMR vaccine “our greatest tool for combating measles infections.” She also testified that the MMR vaccine is not lethal, encouraged people to get vaccinated, and stated she does not believe childhood vaccines cause autism. Saphier said at her confirmation hearing that the universal birth dose of hepatitis B was safe and effective.

What's New

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee voted to advance Saphier's nomination for surgeon general by a party-line vote of 12-11 on September 16, 2026. The Senate HELP Committee advanced Saphier's nomination for surgeon general on September 16, 2026, and it will now move to the Senate floor for a final vote at a later date. Senate HELP Committee Republicans hold a 12-11 majority, enabling party-line votes on nominees like Saphier.

Bill Cassidy, as Senate HELP Committee chairman, previously clashed with President Trump over the stalled nomination of Casey Means. Saphier's nomination for surgeon general faced opposition from members of the Make America Healthy initiative, a group aligned with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee has a one-seat Republican majority, which enabled the party-line vote to advance Saphier's nomination. Saphier testified before the Senate HELP Committee that universal hepatitis B vaccination at birth is 'the most effective policy here in the United States for reducing infection,' despite not explicitly endorsing the recommendation. Sanders said he would vote against Saphier's nomination because she “has questioned the need for the hepatitis B vaccine at birth, when the data science has been clear.”