The New England Journal of Medicine seems rightly angered over this question. It should be. It places the blame directly on conservatives and the National Rifle Association. But it also nudges President Obama to take some action.
More below the swirling spirochete.
The editorial points out that we have been without a Surgeon General for some time. The Ebola outbreak, and other public health concerns, require someone at the helm. They find Vivek Murthy, MD, highly qualified and think that he could do an exemplary job as Surgeon General. Except that he's not - not the Surgeon General, that is.
The editorial provides the sole reason for his lack of confirmation:
the nomination was not advanced to a confirmation vote in the Senate because conservative lawmakers and the National Rifle Association found his very reasonable views on firearm regulation unacceptable.
It calls out those two tightly interrelated groups for making this process a totally political one, certainly not in the best interest of public health.
But they take a look at the broader picture, as well. If Murthy's nomination is dead, then President Obama needs to recommend someone else. The authors urge him to do just that. They mention several possible options that he could consider.
We need a Surgeon General and we need to move beyond this impasse.
http://www.nejm.org/...