Dr. Mehmet Oz attends his confirmation hearing with the Senate Finance Committee in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on March 14, 2025. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Hawley noted that Oz had on his show "various transgender advocates as well as a surgeon who performed transgender surgery" and "also invited children to discuss switching genders and praised parents for helping their children ‘transition’."
"Do you support President Trump’s position that gender transition procedures for minors should be banned?" one question directed at Oz and shared by Hawley’s press office asked.
The senator also asked if Trump’s nominee supported the president’s executive order barring biological men from competing in women’s sports.
"Do you believe that CMS has a role in promoting or supporting gender transition surgery in any way?" Hawley asked.
The senator asked Oz if he would commit to never issuing a National Coverage Determination at CMS for "gender reassignment surgery" or equivalent procedures, including the use of hormone and puberty blockers, in line with Trump’s policies. He also asked if Oz would support Trump’s efforts to halt federal funding to hospitals that provide so-called "gender-affirming care" to minors.
Hawley noted Oz had stated in the past that he did not want to "interfere" with doctors prescribing puberty blockers for minor children and asked if that was still his position.
"Do you believe the Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade, which every Justice appointed by President Trump supported, was correctly decided?" Hawley asked.
The senator questioned whether Oz’s position has changed since he in 2019 opposed state limitations on abortion related to fetal heartbeat by describing it as "little electrical exchanges in the cell that no one would hear or think about as a heart."
Dr. Mehmet Oz attends amfAR Palm Beach Gala on March 15, 2025. (Ryan Emberley/amfAR/Getty Images for amfAR)
"The Biden administration issued guidance via CMS suggesting that the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) required hospitals to perform abortions, overriding state laws," Hawley noted. The senator asked Oz if he would return to the Trump policy and "clarify that EMTALA does not mandate abortions."
Finally, Hawley noted that CMS under Trump required separate billing plans that covered abortion in Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketing plans and the Biden administration eliminated that requirement. He asked if Oz would support returning Trump’s policy of "transparent billing practices and ensure that consumers pay properly separate charges for abortion."
The 64-year-old was a respected heart surgeon who turned into a popular TV pitchman. He sold everything from supplements to private health insurance plans on "The Dr. Oz Show," which ran for 13 seasons and helped him amass a fortune.
If confirmed, Oz will oversee health insurance for about 150 million Americans enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid or ACA coverage. As CMS administrator, he could wield significant power over most health companies operating in the U.S., because he can make decisions about who and what is covered by Medicare and Medicaid.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Oz faced over two and a half hours of questioning Friday before the Republican-controlled Senate Finance Committee, which has yet to vote on whether to forward his nomination to the full Senate for consideration. Hawley is not a Finance Committee member and did not question Oz during the hearing last week.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Danielle Wallace is a breaking news and politics reporter at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to danielle.wallace@fox.com and on X: @danimwallace.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hawley-skeptical-trump-pick-oz-i-hope-hes-changed-his-views