Overview

• Senator Josh Hawley has raised concerns about Dr. Mehmet Oz's past support for transgender surgeries for minors and hormone treatments, questioning his alignment with Trump administration views.
• Hawley criticized Oz's previous comments on abortion, including his opposition to restrictive state laws and his description of fetal heartbeat laws as based on 'little electrical exchanges.'
• Oz testified that he would uphold the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits federal funding for abortions, but faced skepticism over his broader policy stances.
• If confirmed, Oz would lead the $1.5 trillion Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) despite lacking experience managing a large bureaucracy.
• The Senate Finance Committee has not yet advanced Oz's nomination for a full Senate vote, with Hawley continuing to press for clarity on his positions.