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The Senate HELP Committee voted 12-11 on September 30, 2026, to advance radiologist Nicole Saphier’s nomination for surgeon general. The full Senate vote date has not been announced; lawmakers questioned Saphier about childhood vaccines, including the MMR and hepatitis B shots.
The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions voted 12-11 on September 30 to advance radiologist Nicole Saphier’s nomination for surgeon general, bringing President Donald Trump’s third nominee for the post closer to a full Senate confirmation vote. The committee action followed a hearing focused in part on Saphier’s views about childhood vaccines.
At her confirmation hearing earlier this month, lawmakers asked Saphier about vaccine safety and claims linking childhood vaccines to autism. Saphier said she did not believe childhood vaccines cause autism. She also described the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine as an important tool against measles when asked whether parents should give children the shot.
The discussion took place as the Trump administration has sought to revisit claims of a link between vaccines and autism. The source report says that widespread scientific consensus and decades of studies have found no such link. It also reports that Trump recently called for MMR vaccinations to be spaced out, contrary to guidance from medical groups.
The committee advanced Saphier and Timothy Westlake, nominated to be assistant secretary for mental health and substance use at the Department of Health and Human Services, in the same en bloc vote. The committee’s vote advances the nominations but does not itself confirm either nominee.
The Surgeon General’s Public Voice
The surgeon general has limited policymaking power, but the office carries a prominent role communicating public health information to Americans. Its holder can influence how people hear about vaccines and other health issues, making the nominee’s statements on vaccine safety a focus of scrutiny even though the post does not set policy on its own.
The close committee vote shows that Saphier’s nomination advanced with a divided panel. It does not establish how the full Senate will vote. For readers, the next key development is whether and when senators take up the nomination, followed by the nominee’s public communications if confirmed.
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Questions at the Confirmation Hearing
Saphier is a radiologist and former Fox News Channel contributor. At the hearing, Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican and physician, pressed her to state whether she believed vaccines cause autism. Saphier answered that she did not believe childhood vaccines cause autism and highlighted the MMR vaccine’s role in combating measles.
Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, the HELP Committee’s ranking member, said before the vote that he would oppose Saphier’s nomination. Sanders pointed to her past questioning of the need for a hepatitis B vaccine dose at birth. At the hearing, Saphier said the universal birth dose was safe and effective. Cassidy ultimately voted to advance her nomination.
The committee action follows another HHS nomination vote: Chris Klomp, nominated as deputy secretary, advanced from the Senate Finance Committee last week by a 15-12 vote. Klomp was questioned about his duties and vaccine views, according to the report. These are separate nominations and committee proceedings.
“I do not believe childhood vaccines cause autism.”
— Nicole Saphier, at her confirmation hearing
The Full Senate Vote Remains Unscheduled
The report did not identify a date for a full Senate vote on Saphier’s nomination. It said the nominees were expected to be approved, but that expectation is not a recorded Senate decision. The final vote count and timing are not yet known.
The committee vote also does not resolve how Saphier would approach the surgeon general’s communications role if confirmed. The report describes her hearing answers on autism, MMR and hepatitis B, but does not detail any future plans for public health messaging or policy work.
Senators Must Decide on Confirmation
Saphier’s nomination now awaits consideration by the full Senate. No floor schedule was available in the report, so the timing of that vote remains open. If senators take it up, the outcome will determine whether she moves from nominee to surgeon general.
Westlake’s nomination also advanced in the HELP Committee’s en bloc vote and awaits the next step in the confirmation process. The report does not provide a date for his full Senate vote either.
Key Questions
What did the Senate committee decide?
The Senate HELP Committee voted 12-11 on September 30, 2026, to advance Nicole Saphier’s nomination for surgeon general.
Has Saphier been confirmed as surgeon general?
No. The committee advanced her nomination, but the report said a full Senate vote had not yet been scheduled.
What did Saphier say about vaccines and autism?
At her confirmation hearing, Saphier said she did not believe childhood vaccines cause autism. She also called the MMR vaccine an important tool for combating measles.
Why did some lawmakers oppose the nomination?
Sen. Bernie Sanders said he would vote against Saphier, citing in part her past questions about the hepatitis B vaccine dose given at birth. At the hearing, Saphier said the universal birth dose was safe and effective.
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