Committee to explore top docs' claims of political interference

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The chairman of a House oversight committee has requested documents related to possible political interference with the Surgeon General's office.

Rep. Henry Waxman, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, requested the documents Wednesday in a letter to Michael Leavitt, Secretary of Health and Human Services.

In the letter, he said President Bush's most recent surgeon general, Dr. Richard Carmona, told lawmakers that "political appointees edited his public remarks, blocked him from developing or issuing several reports or calls to action, and denied travel requests on political grounds."

Waxman, a California Democrat, set a deadline of July 25 for Leavitt to respond.

Waxman's letter came after testimony Tuesday from three former surgeon generals -- Carmona, David Satcher and C. Everett Koop. They said the office has been increasingly politicized in recent years, particularly during the Bush administration.

Carmona, who served from 2002 to 2006, testified that with no independent budget and "supervisors who are political appointees with partisan agendas," surgeons general are severely marginalized and challenged to perform their duties as "the nation's doctor." Watch Carmona describe how he was muzzled »

"Anything that doesn't fit into the political appointees' ideological, theological or political agenda is ignored, marginalized or simply buried," he said.

The White House issued a statement after the testimony saying it believed "Dr. Carmona received the support necessary to carry out his mission."

"As surgeon general, Dr. Carmona was given the authority and had the obligation to be the leading voice for health of all Americans," the statement said. "It is disappointing to us if he failed to use his position to the fullest extent in advocating the policies that he thought were in the best interest of the nation."

Carmona later discussed his testimony with CNN's Wolf Blitzer on "The Situation Room."

"Surgeon generals should never be restrained from speaking about prudent science, not policy, not political agenda, but giving the best science to the American public so that they can make their decisions and hold their elected officials accountable based on policy that is ostensibly passed on their behalf," Carmona said during an interview taped Tuesday for broadcast on Wednesday.

Carmona said he was told not to speak about stem cell research, for example, because "we already have a policy [and] you don't need to deal with that."

Carmona said his speeches were vetted by political appointees in the Department of Health and Human Services and "often not allowed to go forward because they didn't have enough political rhetoric."

"I had speechwriters who were constantly in an embattled position because they were trying to reflect my voice on science, yet they were being told more and more to put political things in speeches," he said.

The administration oversight, he said, came from "very senior" officials. In fact, he said, political appointees counted the number of times the names of President Bush and other administration officials appeared in his speeches.

"They would count not only the president, but different names that were in there and political messaging," he said. "And if it wasn't there, they wouldn't approve my speech."

Carmona also said his attempts to participate with the Special Olympics were denied.

"I was questioned, in fact, almost admonished as to, well, 'Why do you want to do this?' " he said. " ... And I made my case based on science. And I was told, well, 'Aren't you aware that, who is behind all of this? Why would you help those people?' "

The Special Olympics is backed by several key Democrats, particularly the Kennedy family.

In their testimony Tuesday, Satcher and Koop made it clear the problems with politicization of the office began much earlier than the Bush administration.

"[President] Reagan was pressed to fire me every day," said Koop, who served from 1981 to 1989. "You will recall that most of his Cabinet believed that would be appropriate because of my description of the manner of transmission of HIV, and the belief among some at the time that those who had AIDS deserved what they got. But Mr. Reagan was a loyal man. He said he had appointed the best physician he could find to be Surgeon General."

Koop said he was embarrassed after he left office to find that he had more access to the Secretary of Health and Human Services than did Satcher, who served from 1998 to 2002.

Satcher, serving during President Clinton's last term and the first year of Bush's first term, testified that he was blocked over needle exchange programs.

All three former surgeons general offered recommendations for improving the office. Those recommendations included selecting a Surgeon General from the ranks of the U.S. Public Health Service and providing the office with secure, line-item funding.

The Surgeon General's office falls under the auspices of the Department of Health and Human Services.

Bush has nominated James Holsinger, a professor of public health at the University of Kentucky, to be the next Surgeon General. Confirmation hearings are expected to begin Thursday. E-mail to a friend

All About C. Everett Koop • David Satcher