Nominee for surgeon general says obesity a top priority, faces questions about partisanship

WASHINGTON – The Obama administration’s nominee for surgeon general says his top priorities will be fighting obesity and helping communities promote healthier living.

Dr. Vivek Murthy, a Harvard Medical School physician, told a Senate committee Tuesday that obesity is the defining public health challenge of our time.

Conservatives questioned if Murthy’s main credential is a political one, because he founded a doctors’ organization that has advocated for the Affordable Care Act and he has tweeted about gun control.

But Murthy said if he is confirmed as the nation’s doctor, he won’t use the job as a bully pulpit for gun control. Murthy also said the surgeon general is an educator who should help find common ground in improving public health.

Senators haven’t yet scheduled a vote on Murthy’s nomination.