Russ Kridel, MD, Chair of the American Medical Association (AMA) Board of Trustees, recently released the following statement on December 17, 2020:
The American Medical Association strongly supports the nominations of Xavier Becerra, JD, to be the next Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Vivek Murthy, MD, to be Surgeon General of the U.S. Public Health Service.
While in Congress, then-Rep. Becerra worked closely with the AMA to pass the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and eliminate the sustainable growth rate. As Attorney General of California, he led a coalition of 17 states
defending the ACA in the case of Texas v. United States—a case in which the AMA filed an amicus brief championing access to meaningful, affordable health care for all Americans.
A former Surgeon General and the Co-Chair of President-Elect Biden’s COVID-19 Task Force, Dr. Murthy is a leader at the forefront of public health. During his tenure as Surgeon General in the Obama Administration, Dr. Murthy worked closely with the AMA on numerous issues, including the federal response to the Zika and Ebola viruses, combatting the health threat of e-cigarettes, and on the Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health, which explained addiction is a chronic disease—not a moral failing.
At this critical moment, we urge the Senate to promptly consider and confirm Attorney General Becerra and Dr. Murthy to these important roles.
