WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) introduced Dr. Brian Christine during his nomination hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (HELP). President Trump nominated Dr. Christine of Mountain Brook, Alabama to be Assistant Secretary for Health at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). During their exchange, Sen. Tuberville and Dr. Christine discussed the importance of the Make America Health Again movement, along with Dr. Christine’s goals for improving rural healthcare.
Read excerpts from their exchange below or on YouTube or Rumble.
TUBERVILLE: “Thank you very much. It’s an honor to introduce my friend and constituent, Dr. Brian Christine. Also thrilled to welcome today his wife, Helena, and sister, Kathleen. Thank you for being here.
Dr. Christine is a board-certified urologic surgeon with nearly 30 years of clinical experience serving patients in Birmingham, Alabama. A recognized medical expert, Dr. Christine is known for teaching and demonstrating advanced surgical techniques, both nationally and internationally. Born in West Germany to a decorated U.S. Army combat veteran and the grandson of Italian immigrants, he will bring a lifelong dedication to service, resilience, and American values to this role. Dr. Christine attended college in Georgia, what’s going on here? And earned his medical degree from Emory University. He later moved to Birmingham for his residency and has since dedicated his career to caring for the men and women of Alabama. Beyond the operating room, he has supported local law enforcement by volunteering as a trauma surgeon with tactical police units. If confirmed, Dr. Christine will oversee critical public health programs, regional health offices and U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps where he has pledged to accept a commission and lead with a Main Street medicine approach.
His top priorities include addressing chronic disease such as diabetes, hypertension, pediatric obesity, mental health, and the nation’s physician shortage crisis. He is particularly focused on expanding access to primary care and improving health in rural and underserved communities.
With deep medical expertise, leadership experience, and a clear vision for reform, he is well equipped to serve as Assistant Secretary for Health, and I hope my federal colleagues will support his nomination – Dr. Christine.”
DR. CHRISTINE: “Senator Tuberville, thank you so much for your kind words. Thank you also for the service that you’ve rendered to our nation here in the U.S. Senate and the service you have and will render to our home state of Alabama.”
TUBERVILLE: “Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Dr. Christine, in my lifetime, I’ve never seen the deterioration of an institution like we have in the trust of the American people after COVID. How are you gonna try to put that back together? Because we desperately need some help in getting a positive attitude towards our hospitals and our doctors back to the American people.”
DR. CHRISTINE: “Yes, Senator Tuberville, number one, thank you so much for being here. Again, thank you for your introduction. Thank you for meeting with me before today’s hearing. I’m truly appreciative. The loss of trust that we have seen in our healthcare institutions and the healthcare policies emanating from this city are the worst that I’ve seen in over three decades of practice. People feel that during the pandemic particularly they were led astray, some people feel they were lied to. We have to work to restore that trust. Secretary Kennedy is 100% committed to doing that, as is President Trump.
In my career as a surgeon, I’ve had to earn the trust of my patients, allowing me to operate on them, literally take their life within my hands. I believe I have the ability to communicate to patients and now hopefully to the American public at large and approach them and give them a sense that what I’m saying, what I’m telling is truly for the good of the country [and] comes from a position of honesty and transparency. I’ve had to do that for over 30 years as a surgeon and as a physician. I truly believe I can bring that skillset to the office of the Assistant Secretary for Health.”
TUBERVILLE: “Yeah. The American people are tired of being lied to about their food, the ingredients, things that we’re now finding out that are detrimental to our health. And up here, you know, we seem to overlook all that, but we need to start looking out for the American people. How do you plan to help the Secretary with that?”
DR. CHRISTINE: “Well, we know that Secretary Kennedy is absolutely committed to the Make America Healthy Again agenda to remove toxins from our foods, to make sure that all have access to clean water, that we focus on not just treating chronic disease, but finding out what causes chronic disease, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and work to not only cure those diseases, but really prevent and eliminate those diseases. Secretary Kennedy is always wanting to approach things from the foundation of science. He truly believes in that. I agree with the Secretary on all of those things. I intend to support him. I intend to work diligently if I have the privilege of being confirmed. To support him in that quest to make Americans healthier than they’ve ever been.” […]
TUBERVILLE: “Dr. Christine, rural America. We got problems getting healthcare. Our state is 60% rural in Alabama. Most of the south is rural. How do we handle that problem?”
DR. CHRISTINE: “Yes, Senator. [I think] one of the things you’re speaking about are healthcare deserts – those areas where men, women and their children don’t have ready access to primary care services such as pediatrics or gynecologic services or family practice. We have to find ways to bridge those gaps. I think that absolutely telehealth can help provide a bridge to these individuals. We’ll see what AI brings in the future. But again, technology can help bridge this gap. We absolutely must encourage and must increase the number of primary care physicians, family practitioners, pediatricians, gynecologists and opticians and primary care nurses […] to help bridge this gap as well. Now that takes a while to spin that up. But in the interim, we have to find ways to bridge the gaps. We do have to use technology. I believe that I, as Assistant Secretary for Health, one of the things that I intend to do, if I’m privileged to be in that position, will be to be a true evangelist to really go out and encourage young men and women who are in medical school and nursing school to serve in these areas. Young men and women getting into healthcare, they want a mission. Wanna help them understand that that mission to serve our brothers and sisters in rural America and healthcare deserts is truly noble and is worthwhile.”
TUBERVILLE: “And one thing we need to sell to in rural hospitals is loyalty to the people in these communities to go to these rural hospitals so we can save them. It’s not just that they’re not being served. It’s just we have to have loyalty in those areas. Thank you.”
Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.
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