President Donald Trump’s surgeon general appointee went into labor on the same day she was set to be questioned in a confirmation hearing, which has been postponed indefinitely. The delay of Casey Means’ hearing, first reported by Politico, prolongs the vacancy for “America’s top doctor,” which has remained unfilled longer than other high-profile jobs in the administration. The doctor-turned-influencer, whose state medical license was placed on inactive status in January, has been a key figure in Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s Make America Healthy Again movement. The 38-year-old was scheduled to testify before the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee on Thursday, five months after Trump nominated her. She was expected to face tough questions from Democrats about her views on vaccines and other MAHA issues that contrast with traditional medicine. HHS told the Daily Beast in a statement, “Everyone is happy for Dr. Means and her family. This is one of the few times in life when it’s easy to ask to move a Senate hearing.” Means was not Trump’s first choice. Her nomination came after White House withdrew its first nominee, Janette Nesheiwat, due to concerns about her credentials, partially raised by the right-wing influencer Laura Loomer.
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