Barrasso to Obama: Pick a more qualified surgeon general

Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) said President Obama’s surgeon general pick isn’t experienced enough to deal with the Ebola crisis.

Barrasso said Obama should immediately withdraw his nomination of Vivek Murthy.

{mosads}“It is now time for President Obama to immediately withdraw Dr. Murthy’s nomination and promptly nominate an experienced professional who can help prevent the spread of Ebola and tackle other serious health challenges,” Barrasso said Thursday. “Americans deserve a Surgeon General who has substantial experience in managing complex crises and delivering patient care.”

Barrasso said Murthy’s nomination has stalled in the Senate because members on both sides of the aisle have concerns about his qualifications, but most of the complaints have come from conservatives over his views on gun control.

“Now more than ever, our nation needs to have an experienced and effective Surgeon General to help coordinate the government’s Ebola strategy,” Barrasso said. “It has been clear for almost a year that the president’s nominee Dr. Vivek Murthy is not the right person for this consequential job.”

Murthy, a practicing physician and instructor at Harvard Medical School, was nominated in November of last year to replace acting Surgeon General Boris Lushniak.

The lack of a permanent surgeon general became prominent in recent weeks, after the U.S. saw its first Ebola diagnosis, death and transmission. Earlier this week, more than 70,000 people signed an online petition demanding the Senate vote to confirm Murthy.

“Americans are justifiably worried about the spread of Ebola and concerned that it could reach their families,” Barrasso said. “In the middle of growing uncertainty, President Obama and his team need to do everything possible to give the American people more confidence that their government is working effectively to prevent any more people from contracting this deadly virus.”

Ebola has killed more than 3,000 people this year, most of whom have been in West Africa.

— Elise Viebeck contributed to this article.