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.
Read More
