(LifeSiteNews) — The Senate should reject the nomination of Dr. Casey Means to serve as surgeon general due to her stance on abortion drugs, the Southern Baptist Convention says.
The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission arm of the Baptist group shared its “deep concern” over “alarming” statements made by Means during her confirmation hearing in a letter sent to senators considering her nomination.
President Donald Trump nominated her after backlash to his initial nomination last year of Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, a pro-mask, pro-vaccine Fox News contributor. Means is close to the “Make America Healthy Again” movement and helped on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential campaign. She and her brother are critical of Big Pharma and promote alternative medical remedies to dealing with illnesses.
However, while she may be liked by the alliance of conservatives and liberals who are concerned about chemicals in our food supply and the increasing power of Big Pharma, her stance on the sanctity of life is drawing concerns.
“We believe life begins at conception and that all forms of abortion deny precious preborn human beings of their very lives,” the letter affirmed.
It is not as clear Means shares the same convictions.
“In her confirmation hearing, Means skirted questions regarding the chemical abortion pill,” Interim President Gary Hollingsworth wrote to senators on the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.
“She declined to provide a clear answer regarding her stance on reinstating even minimal commonsense safety protocols, like in-person dispensing requirements,” Hollingsworth wrote.
He also criticized her for saying that “all medications have risks and benefits,” explaining why she believed abortion drugs should remain available.
Hollingsworth continued:
While rulemaking authority on mifepristone does not lie with the Surgeon General, it is alarming that the candidate for our nation’s top public health official is clearly noncommittal on such a powerful drug, a drug that harms women and robs innocent children of their very lives.
The Southern Baptist Convention also raised concerns about Means’ “blatant flaunting of prior illicit drug use.”
She has supported people trying psilocybin, a psychedelic drug found in fungi known as magic mushrooms, to treat depression and PTSD, among other issues.
However, she said she would not recommend their usage in her official role.
In response to a question from Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), Means said:
When it comes to psychedelic therapy for mental health issues, I think the science is still emerging. And so, it would certainly not be a recommendation to the American people to do that, under no circumstances. I do believe that there is exciting work being done in this area that needs to continue, on psychedelic therapies for PTSD in veterans for mental health issues. And some of the researchers who are doing this work have said it’s some of the most promising and exciting of their entire careers.
She also condemned “illicit drug use.”
Still, there are concerns for the Southern Baptist Convention.
“The Surgeon General’s job is to be a trusted voice on matters of public health,” the letter concluded.
“In addition, he or she should be both a medical and moral example to the American people, not promoting beliefs or practices that are detrimental to public health and the public good,” Hollingsworth wrote. “Sadly, based on this broad criteria and the specific concerns cited above, Dr. Means is not qualified to serve as our country’s next surgeon general.”
Nomination latest red flag on Trump’s abortion drug stance
Means’ comments on abortion drugs add to ongoing concern about Trump’s ambivalence, if not support, for the dangerous chemicals.
Recently, his Department of Justice asked a federal court to stop lawsuits by several Republican states against the Food and Drug Administration for allowing dangerous abortion pills to flood the country, undermining their own protections for preborn babies.
Since the beginning of his administration, various officials, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, have promised a new safety review of abortion drugs. (Though the drugs can never truly be safe since they always aim to kill an innocent preborn baby).
Despite these promises, the FDA approved a new generic abortion drug in fall 2025.
The decision drew criticism from Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) who has been the leading voice holding the administration’s feet to the fire on this issue.
“FDA had promised to do a top-to-bottom safety review of the chemical abortion drug, but instead they’ve just greenlighted new versions of it for distribution,” he wrote in October 2025. “I have lost confidence in the leadership at FDA.”
