Cato Podcast First, Do No Harm
5 snips
Sep 4, 2025 
Join Jeffrey A. Singer, a seasoned surgeon and health policy expert, alongside Scott Lincicome, a trade policy guru. They tackle pressing issues like the uproar at the CDC, questioning the need for a Surgeon General, and dissect a critical ruling declaring Trump's global tariffs illegal. The conversation reveals the politicization of vaccine policies and advocates for local health decision-making. Plus, they share insights on innovative governance solutions, providing a fresh take on public health in a free society.
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Public Health Should Prevent Public Harm
- Legitimate public health roles focus on preventing harms that affect others, like contagious disease or environmental toxins.
- Jeffrey Singer insists choices about diet and lifestyle should remain private and discussed with personal clinicians.
Reconsider The Surgeon's Official Role
- Eliminate or shrink the Surgeon General's role in prescribing broad personal-health policy.
- Singer recommends reverting the office to its former administrative and Commissioned Corps roles or removing it entirely.
Court Limits Presidential Tariff 'Switch'
- The Federal Circuit ruled most of Trump's global tariffs under IEEPA unlawful and echoed the Court of International Trade's concerns.
- Scott Lincicome says the decision challenges a presidential 'tariff switch' that bypasses standard tariff procedures.