After first questioning Dr. Mehmet Oz’s true conservative credentials, Senator Josh Hawley now fully endorses him for Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services chief following major policy reversals on transgender care for minors and abortion. As a result, the Senate confirmed Dr. Oz on Thursday.
At a Glance
- Senator Josh Hawley initially challenged Dr. Oz’s past support for transgender treatments for minors and concerns about state abortion restrictions
- Oz has now officially disavowed his previous positions, pledging to end transgender treatments for minors and enforcing pro-life policies
- Hawley’s endorsement follows Oz’s commitments to uphold conservative values in handling Medicare and Medicaid programs
- President Trump’s CMS has already signaled potential penalties for hospitals performing transgender care on minors
- The Senate Finance Committee is expected to vote on Oz’s confirmation in the coming weeks
Hawley’s Initial Objections to Oz Nomination
Missouri Senator Josh Hawley initially expressed serious concerns regarding Dr. Mehmet Oz’s nomination to lead the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, pointing to the celebrity doctor’s past commentary that seemed at odds with conservative values. Hawley, known for his unwavering stance on social issues, questioned whether Oz could be trusted to implement President Trump’s agenda given his previous public statements favoring transgender treatments for children and expressing ambivalence about state-level abortion restrictions.
“I see he’s praised transgender surgeries for minors and supported hormone treatments [and] puberty blockers for kids in the past. And has also criticized state laws protecting life,” Hawley stated in his initial objections to the nomination. The Missouri Republican’s concerns reflected broader conservative anxieties about appointing officials who might not fully embrace the administration’s policy priorities, particularly regarding these high-profile social issues that energize the Republican base.
Oz’s Conservative Transformation
In a dramatic policy reversal that cleared the path for his confirmation, Dr. Oz has now explicitly disavowed his previous positions on both transgender care for minors and abortion. This shift represents a significant victory for conservatives who demanded ideological consistency from the Trump administration’s nominees. Oz has now committed to ending transgender treatments for minors through CMS authorities and promised to enforce conscience protections for healthcare providers who oppose abortion on religious or moral grounds.
“We are concerned about Dr. Oz in that vital role as he was an ambivalent supporter of human beings in the womb when running for the U.S. Senate,” said Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life, who had voiced early opposition to the nomination.
Oz’s transformation from television health guru with moderate views to conservative policy enforcer demonstrates the Trump administration’s commitment to ideological alignment among appointees. His new stance includes expressing support for the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade and pledging to ensure that no federal funds under his authority would go toward abortion providers, fully adhering to the Hyde Amendment restrictions.
Hawley’s Power Play Succeeds
Senator Hawley’s successful effort to extract conservative commitments from Oz illustrates the significant influence individual senators can wield in the confirmation process. While not a member of the Senate Finance Committee that will vote on Oz’s nomination, Hawley has established himself as a conservative gatekeeper for Trump administration appointees. His approach has already claimed one casualty — FDA chief counsel Hilary Perkins resigned after facing similar scrutiny from the Missouri senator.
“But many federal laws and regulations implicate life issues,” Hawley emphasized in his communications with Oz, highlighting the far-reaching implications of the CMS position.
Hawley’s announcement that he will vote to confirm Oz represents a significant victory for both the senator and the administration and clearly was instrumental in his subsequent confirmation. The White House had been working behind the scenes to facilitate this accommodation, recognizing the importance of having Hawley’s support to ensure a smooth confirmation process. This resolution also demonstrates President Trump’s commitment to maintaining ideological consistency within his administration on key social issues that matter to his political base.
Implications for Federal Health Policy
The controversy surrounding Oz’s nomination highlights the critical role the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services plays in shaping social policy. With oversight of healthcare programs affecting millions of Americans and control over billions in federal spending, CMS has become an important battleground in America’s culture wars. Oz’s confirmation would solidify the administration’s ability to implement conservative priorities through healthcare policy, particularly regarding transgender treatments for minors and abortion access.
President Trump’s CMS has already signaled its intent to penalize hospitals performing transgender care on minors, and Oz will now be expected to fully implement these policies. Additionally, his commitments regarding abortion funding align with broader Republican efforts to limit federal support for abortion providers. The swift resolution of this confirmation standoff indicates the administration’s determination to advance its social agenda through all available policy levers, including the vast regulatory authority wielded by CMS.
