Sen. Stuart Appears Before US Senate Confirmation Hearing

President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy have tapped state Sen. Mike Stuart, R-Kanawha, to be General Counsel to the Department of Health and Human Services advising Secretary Robert Kennedy directly. 

Stuart previously served as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia in the first Trump Administration. 

Thursday, Stuart appeared before the U.S. Senate Finance Committee for a confirmation hearing with three other appointees: Bryan Switzer, of Virginia, to be a Deputy United States Trade Representative (Asia, Textiles, Investment, Services, and Intellectual Property), Gustav Chiarello III, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services, and Derek Theurer, of Virginia, to be a Deputy Under Secretary of the Treasury.

Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-MA, asked about a bill Stuart introduced in West Virginia to ban medical substance abuse treatment programs. Kennedy has come out in support of those programs. 

“I’m just trying to get at so you’ll support efforts at the department to expand access to all types of medication assisted treatment, including both methadone and buprenorphine,” she said. 

“I’m going to support Secretary Kennedy on this issue,” Stuart said. “I agree with him on it, but keep in mind, there’s a difference between being a policy maker.”

The bill in question was introduced in 2024 and co-sponsored by Sen. Eric Tarr, R-Putnam. It was introduced in the Senate, but was never taken up by the Health and Human Resources committee. 

In closing remarks, U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-OR, criticized Stuart’s answer to a question he asked earlier in the hearing calling it a “word salad.”

Republicans have the majority of votes on the committee. If approved by the committee, Stuart’s nomination will go before the full Senate. That leaves an open seat in the state Senate. Stuart is currently the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. At the close of the hearing, the chairman indicated he would move things forward but gave no indication when the committee would vote to confirm their nominations.