Nominee for South Carolina's top doctor toppled by lingering COVID anger

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A South Carolina Senate committee rejected the Republican governor's nominee to be the state's top doctor after hours of hearings dominated by the state's response to the COVID pandemic.

Just one of 13 Republicans on the Senate Medical Affairs Committee voted for Dr. Edward Simmer 's nomination to lead the new Department of Public Health — in contrast to the Republican-dominated Senate's overwhelming endorsement of Simmer in 2021 as head of the state’s old public health and environmental agency.

Thursday's vote reflected lingering anger over his handling of South Carolina's response to the pandemic. Simmer recommended people get the COVID vaccine, and he often wore masks well after the worst of the pandemic had passed, saying he wanted to protect his wife, who has a compromised immune system.

Simmer defended his record, pointing out that in two years under his leadership of the old agency, South Carolina improved from 45th to 37th among U.S. states in overall public health measures and that COVID now takes up only a tiny percentage of his time.

“Sometimes a small amount of people can make a lot of noise. I think that's what we’re seeing here," Simmer said. “But I also hope you can look at my overall record, where we are going as a state."

The Department of Public Health was created last year, and Gov. Henry McMaster nominated Simmer, a retired U.S. Navy psychiatrist, to run it. But the governor's support came with a backhanded knock on the federal government’s COVID response

“He’s not a Dr. Fauci,” McMaster said, referring to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the infectious disease expert who advised Presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden on the pandemic.

Several Republicans aggressively questioned Simmer, reading aloud excerpts from his email in which he strongly encouraged people in 2021 to get the COVID vaccine and wear masks. Simmer said he was only following the best science at the time and said he never thought anyone should be required to be vaccinated. He walked senators through the importance of following peer-reviewed studies.

There was a simple solution to all the angst over COVID, Republican Sen. Tom Fernandez said.

“We didn’t have all the information. This is 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 of any emergency," Fernandez said.

Sen. Matt Leber asked why Simmer didn't push back on schools buying Plexiglas barriers or grocery stores putting arrows on floors to encourage one-way traffic up aisles. “Sometimes where there is chaos there is a vacuum of leadership,” Leber said.

Simmer’s critics both at the Statehouse and on social media have derisively called him a “double masker” for wearing two face masks even after he explained that his wife has underlying medical conditions that make COVID especially dangerous for her.

He was maskless for hearings both last month and on Thursday but said he “will wear a mask again without hesitation if that is what it takes to protect the woman I love.”

The lone Republican to vote for Simmer asked his colleagues to go back to 2020 and 2021 when many of them also organized COVID testing and made sure their constituents could find places with COVID vaccines.

Sen. Tom Davis said punishing Simmer for what could only be known at the time was a terrible precedent. “If he’s guilty of some dereliction of duty in that regard, then I am derelict as well,” Davis said.

The Senate’s longest serving member, Republican Harvey Peeler, asked if Simmer would be willing to run the state Department of Mental Health if his nomination failed.

“Fauci blew up. You got hit by the shrapnel,” said Peeler, a senator since 1981. “You talk to my constituents. They see you, they think Dr. Fauci.”

The vote doesn’t kill Simmer’s nomination. But the full Senate, dominated by Republicans, would have to vote to pull it out of committee and send it to the floor.

The only real mention of anything other than COVID during the hearing came from Democrats.

One questioned him about how South Carolina was monitoring measles outbreaks in other states.

A second asked about a mobile maternity care center set to hit the road in 2026. South Carolina is near the bottom in the nation in infant and maternity deaths and has a number of poorer counties where getting to the nearest obstetrician can involve at least a 50-mile (80-kilometer) drive.

South Carolina Sen. Ronnie Sabb, D-Greeleyville, speaks during a South Carolina Senate Medical Affairs Committee meeting where the nomination of Dr. Edward Simmer to be the first director of the South Carolina Department of Public Health was given an unfavorable vote on Thursday, April 3, 2025, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)

South Carolina Senate Medical Affairs Committee Chairman Danny Verdin, R-Laurens, speaks during a meeting of his committee where the nomination of Dr. Edward Simmer to be the first director of the South Carolina Department of Public Health was given an unfavorable vote on Thursday, April 3, 2025, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)

A member of the audience listens during a South Carolina Senate Medical Affairs Committee meeting where the nomination of Dr. Edward Simmer to be the first director of the South Carolina Department of Public Health was was given an unfavorable vote on Thursday, April 3, 2025, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)

South Carolina Sen. Richard Cash, R-Powdersville, speaks during a South Carolina Senate Medical Affairs Committee meeting where the nomination of Dr. Edward Simmer to be the first director of the South Carolina Department of Public Health was given an unfavorable vote on Thursday, April 3, 2025, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)

Dr. Edward Simmer listens as the South Carolina Medical Affairs Committee gave his nomination to be the first director of the South Carolina Department of Public Health an unfavorable vote on Thursday, April 3, 2025, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)

South Carolina Sen. Matt Leber, R-Johns Island, speaks during a South Carolina Senate Medical Affairs Committee meeting where the nomination of Dr. Edward Simmer to be the first director of the South Carolina Department of Public Health was given an unfavorable vote on Thursday, April 3, 2025, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)

Dr. Edward Simmer listens as the South Carolina Medical Affairs Committee gave his nomination to be the first director of the South Carolina Department of Public Health an unfavorable vote on Thursday, April 3, 2025, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)

MILAN (AP) — Atalanta’s title chances have already effectively slipped away and now it could be at risk of dropping out of the top four of Serie A.

Third-placed Atalanta lost 1-0 at home to Lazio on Sunday for its third straight league defeat.

That has seen Gian Piero Gasperini’s team fall 10 points behind league leader Inter Milan and left it looking nervously over its shoulder.

Atalanta is only two points ahead of Juventus after the Bianconeri drew 1-1 at Roma. Bologna can leapfrog Atalanta if it beats second-placed Napoli on Monday.

Lazio, which came into the match without a victory in Serie A in more than a month, moved to within three points of Atalanta.

Both teams were lacking in confidence and that perhaps explained the cagey first half.

Atalanta appeared reinvigorated after the break and had two quick chances, with Lazio goalkeeper Chrīstos Mandas making an extraordinary save to deny the league’s top scorer Mateo Retegui at point-blank range.

However, it was Lazio which broke the deadlock nine minutes into the second half, through halftime substitute Gustav Isaksen.

Fisayo Dele-Bashiru nodded a long ball over the top down to Isaksen, who scuffed a shot past Marco Carnesecchi.

Roma's streak of seven straight league wins — with only one goal conceded — was ended by Juventus, in Igor Tudor's second match in charge of the Bianconeri.

It was an aggressive start from Juventus, and Roma goalkeeper Mile Svilar had to palm Nico González's header onto his right post.

Juventus took the lead shortly before halftime. Khéphren Thuram's cross was cleared by Zeki Çelik but only to the edge of the area where Manuel Locatelli volleyed it into the ground to bounce into the bottom left corner.

It was the first goal Roma had conceded in Serie A since March 2.

Claudio Ranieri's halftime substitution had an immediate impact as Eldor Shomurodov leveled three minutes after coming on, heading in the rebound from three yards after Michele Di Gregorio had parried Evan N’Dicka's attempt.

Roma moved to within three points of the top four.

Lecce was loudly jeered by its home fans despite rallying to draw 1-1 against Venezia in a relegation dogfight and ending a run of five straight defeats.

Federico Baschirotto headed in the equalizer for Lecce in the 65th after home defender Antonino Gallo hand bundled into his own net at the start of the second half.

Lecce remained in the last position of safety in Serie A, two points above Empoli which drew 0-0 against Cagliari.

Venezia was in penultimate position, five points below Lecce.

Torino forward Che Adams had a penalty saved in a 1-1 draw at home to Hellas Verona.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Roma's Eldor Shomurodov celebrates after scoring during a Serie A soccer match between Roma and Juventus, at Rome's Olympic Stadium, Sunday, April 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Roma players celebrate after a goal during a Serie A soccer match between Roma and Juventus, at Rome's Olympic Stadium, Sunday, April 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Roma's head coach Claudio Ranieri gives instructions during a Serie A soccer match between Roma and Juventus, at Rome's Olympic Stadium, Sunday, April 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Juventus' Manuel Locatelli, right, reacts after scoring during a Serie A soccer match between Roma and Juventus, at Rome's Olympic Stadium, Sunday, April 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Juventus' head coach Igor Tudor gives instructions during a Serie A soccer match between Roma and Juventus, at Rome's Olympic Stadium, Sunday, April 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Lazio's head coach Marco Baroni gestures during the Serie A soccer match between Atalanta and Lazio at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, Italy, Sunday, April 6, 2025. (Stefano Nicoli/LaPresse via AP)

Atalanta's Mateo Retegui and Lazio's Samuel Grigot, left, fight for the ball during the Serie A soccer match between Atalanta and Lazio at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, Italy, Sunday, April 6, 2025. (Stefano Nicoli/LaPresse via AP)

Lazio's Gustav Isaksen, second from right, celebrates with teammates after scoring his team's first goal during the Serie A soccer match between Atalanta and Lazio at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, Italy, Sunday, April 6, 2025. (Stefano Nicoli/LaPresse via AP)

Lazio's Gustav Isaksen scores his side's first goal during the Serie A soccer match between Atalanta and Lazio at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, Italy, Sunday, April 6, 2025. (Stefano Nicoli/LaPresse via AP)

Atalanta's head coach Gian Piero Gasperini shouts instructions during the Serie A soccer match between Atalanta and Lazio at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, Italy, Sunday, April 6, 2025. (Stefano Nicoli/LaPresse via AP)