What Happened?

Nearly 3,300 measles cases have spread across 47 states and territories, and the Senate panel that oversees public health now has three open slots to fill at the top of the country's health bureaucracy. [](#ngr-7d94c8ed-d4a1-4d6b-b7e5-dc276a3319c5)

The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee held a nominations hearing Sept. 16 for three people the Trump administration wants running key health agencies, with the measles outbreak serving as an urgent backdrop.

The three nominees are Gerard Klomp, tapped to be deputy secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); Nicole Saphier, nominated to serve as surgeon general; and Timothy Westlake, picked to lead the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the federal agency that funds addiction and mental health treatment programs nationwide.

Why Does it Matter to Me?

The people nominated to these roles set national health priorities, direct federal money, and speak publicly on threats like disease outbreaks, drug overdoses, and mental illness. If confirmed, they would oversee the agencies that fund your local health clinic, set vaccine guidelines, and respond to public health emergencies.

The hearing record cited drug overdoses as the leading cause of death among adults ages 18 to 45, with fentanyl and other synthetic opioids driving most of those deaths. It also noted that about one in five adults experiences some form of mental illness, and that more than half of those people never receive treatment.

Both Sides, Now

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), the committee chair, framed the nominations around urgent public health pressures. He said the measles outbreak is the worst the country has seen in more than 35 years, with county coroners confirming measles in three Pennsylvania deaths and another death under evaluation. Cassidy also stated that claims linking vaccines to autism have been repeatedly and thoroughly debunked.

Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) raised different concerns. She said a summer foodborne illness outbreak sickened more than 12,000 people, that the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality abruptly cut 150 research projects, including projects focused on children's health, and that delays in National Institutes of Health grants were disrupting biomedical research across the country.

Klomp currently serves as chief counselor at HHS and previously served as director of the Center for Medicare and deputy administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

What Happens Next?

After the hearing, committee members can vote to advance the nominees to the full Senate floor, where a simple majority is needed for confirmation. No committee vote date has been announced for any of the three nominees.

Until confirmed, the deputy HHS secretary, surgeon general, and SAMHSA administrator posts remain either vacant or filled on an acting basis, leaving key public health decisions without permanent leadership during an active disease outbreak.

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This article was generated by AI pulling from data. Each article is edited by an editor for accuracy and clarity.

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