Washington, DC—Below is a statement by U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) President Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer and USCM CEO and Executive Director Tom Cochran on President-elect Joe Biden’s selection of Dr. Vivek Murthy to serve as U.S. Surgeon General in the new administration:
“The nation’s mayors applaud President-elect Joe Biden’s selection of Dr. Vivek Murthy as the next Surgeon General of the United States. At this critical moment as the coronavirus surges across the county, we all stand to benefit from Dr. Murthy’s trusted voice, compassionate leadership, and extensive experience.
“Dr. Murthy is no stranger to the U.S. Conference of Mayors. We worked closely with him while he served as Surgeon General in the Obama Administration on the opioid and Zika crises as well as other health challenges. Last week, we were able to meet with Dr. Murthy to discuss ways in which mayors can continue to lead in the fight against the coronavirus. Dr. Murthy made clear that collaboration between Washington and City Halls will be critical as we confront a challenging phase of this pandemic.
“We are grateful that this Transition has made working with mayors a priority and that the Biden-Harris team appreciates the severity of this crisis in American cities. We congratulate all of the Health nominees and appointees. Mayors are eager to get to work with President-elect Biden, Dr. Murthy and the entire Covid-response team.”