Jewish Dems Support Dr. Murthy for Surgeon General

JDCA Leaders sent the following letter to Senators Patty Murray and Richard Burr, the Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.

Dear Chairwoman Murray and Ranking Member Burr,

On behalf of the Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA), we would like to convey our strong support for President Joe Biden’s nomination of Vivek Murthy, M.D., M.B.A. to the position of Surgeon General of the United States.

JDCA actively engages Jewish Democrats in the electoral and legislative processes and supports policies aligned with socially progressive, pro-Israel Jewish community values and our platform. As JDCA continues to advocate for responsible leadership to protect American lives and livelihoods impacted by COVID-19, we believe Dr. Murthy’s confirmation is key to supporting the Biden administration’s efforts to end the pandemic.

Dr. Murthy is eminently qualified. Dr. Murthy previously served as the Surgeon General from 2014 to 2017, and we believe he is well-positioned to serve his country again in this vital role during the crisis of the coronavirus pandemic. With over 25 years of experience, Dr. Murthy is the ideal candidate to lead our nation through this public health crisis.

During his previous service, Dr. Murthy led important public health initiatives focusing on topics such as obesity, mental health, childhood immunization, and addiction. As Vice Admiral of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, Dr. Murthy helped oversee the country’s response to the Ebola and Zika viruses, experience which will be invaluable for fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

As co-chair of the COVID-19 Transition Advisory Board, Dr. Murthy helped craft President Biden’s National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness and advised the administration on vaccine supply and distribution and use of the Defense Production Act (DPA). The Biden administration has since used the DPA to bolster America’s response to this crisis by accelerating production of vaccines, testing, masks, and personal protective equipment for healthcare workers.

The Jewish Democratic Council of America is proud to support Dr. Vivek Murthy’s nomination to be the Surgeon General of the United States. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Hon. Ron Klein, JDCA Board Chair
Halie Soifer, JDCA Chief Executive Officer