Overview

• Dr. Kevin O’Connor formally requested that his July 9 deposition before the House Oversight Committee be postponed to the week of July 28 or August 4 to allow time for an accommodation on doctor-patient confidentiality.
• Committee Chair Rep. James Comer and House Republicans refused to alter the schedule, citing House deposition rules that permit witnesses to assert privileges question by question.
• O’Connor’s attorney warned that compelling testimony without confidentiality safeguards could breach medical ethics and risk the doctor’s medical license.
• The scheduling dispute is part of a broader Republican inquiry into President Biden’s mental fitness and questions over the legality of autopen-signed presidential actions.
• Under the committee’s plan, O’Connor must appear as scheduled and invoke privilege on each question, with Comer to rule on disputed claims in real time.