Surgeon General Jerome Adams says Biden transition asked him to resign

Surgeon General Jerome Adams confirmed that the incoming Biden administration requested that he step down ahead of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on Wednesday. 

“Its been the honor of my life to serve this nation, and I will do all I can to ensure everyone has an equal opportunity to achieve and maintain health,” Adams tweeted Wednesday.

I’ve been asked by the Biden team to step down as Surgeon General. Its been the honor of my life to serve this Nation, and I will do all I can to ensure everyone has an equal opportunity to achieve and maintain health. See my full statement at: https://t.co/pCkbpealt8

— U.S. Surgeon General (@Surgeon_General) January 20, 2021

Adams, who was confirmed by the Senate to serve as surgeon general in 2017, reflected on his time in office in a statement on Facebook. He shared that he “saw the best of our Nation coming together in the worse of times, to help those who lost everything,” after Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria “barreling down on our citizens” at the start of his tenure. 

Adams said that, amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, he “sought to communicate the rapidly evolving science on this deadly adversary, and arm people with the knowledge and tools they needed to stay safe.” 

“I wasn’t always right- because no one was, and this virus continues to humble all of us- but I was always sincere in my efforts to speak to every day Americans, and address the terrible health inequities this virus exposed,” Adams shared in the Wednesday statement.

He also touted his 2018 advisory recommending that more Americans carry the opioid overdose-reversing drug naloxone.

“Working across government and with amazing advocacy organizations on the ground- many led by parents who had lost their own children to opioid overdose- we were able to increase Naloxone availability nationwide by over 400%, and save countless lives,” Adams wrote.

“This is perhaps my proudest achievement, as my family has been personally impacted my substance misuse, and I firmly believe stigma remains one of our biggest killers and barriers to health,” he continued.

Adams on Wednesday also applauded the office of the surgeon general’s work on “warning of the dangers of youth e-cigarette and youth marijuana use,” his 2019 report on smoking cessation and other initiatives on maternal health, suicide prevention and more. 

“During my tenure I have visited with people from all across America. And despite all that you may read on social media or see on tv, I can assure you that from Alaska to Alabama, from Maine to Montana, and from California to the Carolinas, Americans mostly want the same thing. They want a fair shot at being their best and healthiest self, and to be able to support the health and well being of their families,” Adams shared. 

Biden has tapped former surgeon general Vivek Murthy to return to the role. He has advised the incoming president for several months on handling the coronavirus pandemic. 

Senate lawmakers must vote to confirm Murthy before he can serve as surgeon general again.