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| Sen. Matt Leber, R-Charleston, (Right) asks Dr. Edward Simmer questions during his Senate confirmation hearing Thursday. The Senate Medical Affairs Committee voted 12-5 not to confirm. |
Written by Tony J. Spain, Palmetto Examiner
April 4, 2025
The
Senate Medical Affairs Committee voted 12-5 against the confirmation of Dr.
Edward Simmer, the governor’s pick, to run the S.C.
Department of Public Health yesterday after a contentious hearing that
centered around decisions made during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The second day of Simmer’s confirmation hearing drew a large crowd not in
support of his nomination, and Sen. Danny
Verdin, R-Laurens, Committee Chairman, had to call for decorum twice before
warning the audience he would clear the room.
The no vote puts Simmer’s nomination on pause in committee indefinitely, but it
doesn’t automatically kill the nomination. The full Senate could still decide
to take up his confirmation with a vote on the floor, which Gov. Henry McMaster, who seems to be doubling
down on Simmer, is strongly encouraging them to do.
“I remain resolute in my support of Dr. Simmer and am hopeful that the full
senate will see through the falsehoods and mistruths being spread about his
service to our state and nation,” McMaster said in a statement on social
media soon after the committee’s vote.
If the Senate does decide to give McMaster his wish of a full vote on the
Senate floor for confirmation, the odds seemed to be stacked against Simmer
with a Republican supermajority. Sen. Tom Davis, R-Beaufort, was the only one
of the 13 Republicans on the committee who voted in favor of his confirmation
yesterday.
“There’s just no way I can sugar coat it,” said Sen. Harvey
Peeler, R-Gaffney. “I’m not telling you something you don’t already know.
Your confirmation is facing an uphill battle.”
Simmer was drilled by Republicans on his response, quotes and decisions made
during the COVID-19 pandemic, and admitted himself he would have made some
decisions differently with the information he has today.
“Knowing what I know today, yes, I would have approached that differently,”
Simmer said speaking about recommending the COVID-19 vaccine for young people. “I
would not have encouraged the vaccine as strongly.”
Simmer mentioned throughout the hearing him and his office “worked with the
information they had at the time.”
One Senator told Simmer we had the best information you can have at any time
during an emergency.
“What I’ve heard from yourself, it’s not a critique, but also from many other people
who made many mistakes during COVID. They’re all saying the same thing now. We
didn’t have all the information,” said Sen. Tom Fernadez, R-Berkley.
“Here’s what we did have. We had the United States Constitution. We had
personal liberty. We had personal freedom. That’s the best information at any
time in any emergency.”
Sen. Matt Leber,
R-Charleston, also hit Simmer hard during question stating he has lost confidence
in Simmer’s leadership.
“I’m not confident,” Leber said. “I think about the sheriff’s and the teachers
and nurses in Charleston County that lost their job because they were told you
take the vaccine or your out.”
Simmer said he didn’t agree with that and didn’t think that was a good idea,
but when Leber asked, “Did you speak up?” Simmer replied he didn’t because he
didn’t think it was his place to speak up.
“I’m asking you to speak up as our expert on health,” Leber said. “Did you
speak up as our South Carolina expert on health on something you fully admit
that you felt was unnecessary or good for society?”
Simmer released a statement after the hearing thanking the members of the committee
and especially Chairman Sen. Denny Verdin for providing him the opportunity to
answer, “any and all questions about my nomination in an honorable and
respectable format.”
“I also appreciate the continued support of Gov. Henry McMaster for my
leadership of the S.C. Department of Public Health,” Simmer noted.
Simmer will remain as the interim director for now.
Tony Spain writes for his own website, Palmetto Examiner. He
is a former candidate for Richland County Council 2020 and an award winning
former military photographer and journalist while in the Public Affairs Office
for the U.S. Army. His photos and writing have been published in numerous
publications such as The Commercial News, Danville, Ill.; The Paraglide, Fort
Bragg, N.C.; Soldier of Fortune Magazine; The State Newspaper, Columbia, S.C.,
and more. He currently writes for his own website, Palmetto Examiner
He lives in Columbia, S.C.
What Say You? Got something you'd like to say? Letter
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