RELEASE: Breakthrough Institute Statement on Withdrawal of Casey Means for Surgeon General

Washington, DC — April 30, 2026 — Today, President Trump announced a new pick for surgeon general, withdrawing his nomination of Casey Means for the position. The Breakthrough Institute previously announced its opposition to Dr. Means’ nomination, citing concerns that her views represented a significant threat to American agriculture and scientific progress. In her appearance before the Senate HELP Committee in February, Means doubled down on the need for radical shifts in food production that would come at the expense of agricultural productivity and continued to cast doubt on the safety of innovations used widely in modern farming and reviewed by regulatory agencies.

Confirming Dr. Means risked advancing a vision of food and farming that is divorced from scientific evidence, dismissive of farmers' livelihoods, and inconsistent with the goal of making healthy food affordable for every household. The Breakthrough Institute welcomes the administration’s decision to move in a different direction for this role. We look forward to engaging with the administration and Congress to ensure the next nominee is committed to science-based decisionmaking.

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Media Contact:

Emily Bass

Director of Federal Policy, Food and Agriculture

emily@thebreakthrough.org