AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION,
    AND FORESTRY

  FOREIGN RELATIONS

   SMALL BUSINESS

October 23, 1981

Dr. C,  Everett KOOK
Surgeon General - Designate
Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, Southwest
Washington, D.C.   20201

Dear Dr. Koop:

  The delay in Senate consideration of your nomination to be
Surgeon General has provided me with the opportunity to clari-
fy some comments you have made about your views on abortion,
reproductive research, and family planning.

  Contrary to your recent assurances, I am concerned that
your previously stated opposition to abortion would prejudice
your actions in your official position as Surgeon General,   The
duties of this position will undoubtedly require you to make
judgments in many areas in which you have strong personal convic-
tions.

  I am particularly concerned about the Surgeon General's role
in determining the activities of the Public Health Service Com-
missioned Corps, researchers at the National Institutes of Health,
and health personnel funded by United States foreign aid.   As an
advisor in these areas, you may be required to approve or reject
practices such as abortion, amniocentesis,  reproductive research,
and certain forms of contraception.  I am concerned that your de-
cisions in these matters would be made on the basis of your per-
sonal beliefs,  rather than unbiased scientific data.

  The decisions and opinions of the Surgeon General can affect
millions of lives.  I would like your personal assurance that
those decisions will be objective and will take into account all
scientific evidence on reproductive matters, abortion, and family
planning.  I look forward to your response.

Sincerely yours,

S.I.  Hayakawa

SIH/ahm