This week, Vivek Murthy fielded questions from the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee at his confirmation hearing to be the next U.S. surgeon general. Unlike past nominees for the slot, Murthy has had an active political past, openly campaigning for causes and candidates — many with connections to the man who nominated him.

Murthy, a doctor at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and a Harvard Medical School instructor, is best-known as the founder of Doctors for America, a physician advocacy organization that campaigned for the Affordable Care Act. However, that organization started in 2008 with a different name and mission, Doctors for Obama worked to elect the current president. The organization relaunched in 2009 in its current form.

On its website, Doctors for America describes itself as “not affiliated with any partisan group or with the administration” and does not endorse or support any candidates or groups. According to its website, though, the organization is fiscally supported by the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning nonprofit. In the 2012 election cycle, CAP’s employees donated more than $58,000 to Democratic candidates, with the most — $26,950 — going to Obama. Another $6,250 went to Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and $5,250 found its way to Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).

Murthy has made just one donation at the federal level, however — to a candidate with connections to Obama. In 2011, Murthy contributed $500 to the congressional campaign of Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois, the state’s former deputy treasurer and an adviser to Obama’s 2004 and 2008 campaigns. Krishnamoorthi lost in the Democratic primary to Baldwin.

During the hearing, Republican senators questioned Murthy about his political advocacy, with Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) warning the doctor that if he uses his new position to primarily advocate for the Affordable Care Act, “that gets to be a problem.” Despite the pushback, though, Murthy is expected to be confirmed.

Over the past two decades, no surgeon general has been as active as Murthy in promoting specific candidates and legislation. Richard Carmona, who served in the position from 2002 to 2006, made a name for himself politically by running for (and ultimately losing) a congressional seat in 2012 to incumbent Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.). But that was after Carmona was surgeon general, not before.

Other surgeons general have also supported certain issues, but not candidates. Regina Benjamin, who held the post from 2009 to 2013, is pro-abortion rights, and Joycelyn Elders, who served as surgeon general under President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 1994, was criticized while in office for suggesting that legalizing drugs could reduce crime. But no surgeon general nominees in the recent past have openly campaigned for or against a particular candidate or party.

Follow Robbie on Twitter at @robbiefeinberg

Image: Vivek Murthy at Senate confirmation hearing, Feb. 4, 2014 (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)



For permission to reprint for commercial uses, such as textbooks, contact the Center: Feel free to distribute or cite this material, but please credit the Center for Responsive Politics.For permission to reprint for commercial uses, such as textbooks, contact the Center: [email protected]

Help us keep government accountable by making a donation today.





Support Accountability Journalism At OpenSecrets.org we offer in-depth, money-in-politics stories in the public interest. Whether you’re reading about 2020 presidential fundraising, conflicts of interest or “dark money” influence, we produce this content with a small, but dedicated team. Every donation we receive from users like you goes directly into promoting high-quality data analysis and investigative journalism that you can trust.Please support our work and keep this resource free. Thank you. Support OpenSecrets ➜