Former President Joe Biden’s doctor, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, has formally requested a delay in testifying before the House Oversight Committee, with his lawyer describing the House GOP’s approach as “unprecedented” and “alarming.” Knewz.com has learned that Dr. O’Connor requested the delay citing concerns over medical confidentiality and the reportedly unusual nature of the request.
Biden’s Doctor Requests Delay
Dr. O’Connor, who served as Biden’s physician during his presidency, was subpoenaed in June after earlier attempts to secure his voluntary testimony were blocked by the Biden administration. However, the former president’s doctor requested a delay until the end of July or early August. According to a letter sent by his lawyer to Republican Representative James Comer of Kentucky, the request was made “to reach an accommodation that will protect the very substantial privilege and confidentiality interests of Dr. O’Connor and former President Biden.” Republicans on the oversight committee are investigating Biden’s mental fitness in office — particularly in the wake of a rocky debate performance in June 2024 — and are seeking details about Dr. O’Connor’s past medical assessments of the former president.
House Oversight Committee Rejects Request
The House Oversight Committee refused Dr. O’Connor’s request to postpone his testimony, stating that he must appear as scheduled. According to the committee, if any questions during the hearing involve sensitive or privileged information, the former president’s doctor can raise those concerns at that time, and the committee chair will decide how to proceed. Republican members argue that the possibility of privileged information isn’t a valid reason to ignore a congressional subpoena altogether. They maintain that Dr. O’Connor is still required to testify and cannot decline to appear based on general concerns about confidentiality.
Doctor’s Lawyer Pushes Back
Dr. O’Connor’s attorney, David Schertler, said in the letter that the committee is refusing to “accommodate to any degree Dr. O’Connor’s objections” over protecting privilege. He also called the House Oversight Committee’s decision “unprecedented” and “alarming” and warned that it threatened broader principles around medical privacy. The doctor’s lawyer also warned that forcing O’Connor to testify without adequate safeguards could jeopardize his medical license and breach long-standing confidentiality obligations. The House Oversight Committee originally asked Dr. O’Connor to testify in July 2024. However, the Biden administration prevented him from appearing at that time. Rep. Comer made another request in May 2025 and followed up with a subpoena in June. In that subpoena, Comer argued that Dr. O’Connor’s claim of physician-patient confidentiality doesn’t apply in this case, as the American Medical Association’s code of ethics is not legally binding and does not override the committee’s authority under federal law.
Biden Rejects Claims of Cognitive Impairment
President Biden has rejected all the claims regarding his mental acuity during his time in Office—a claim that has gained traction under the Donald Trump administration’s allegations that several orders during the Biden presidency were carried out via autopen without the knowledge of the president. Concerns and claims about Biden’s physical and mental health flared after his disastrous performance in the 2024 presidential debate. However, Biden has maintained that he is, and was during his presidency, of sound mind. He said in a statement in North Carolina the day after the debate, “I know I’m not a young man, to state the obvious. I don’t walk as easy as I used to. I don’t speak as smoothly as I used to. I don’t debate as well as I used to. But I know what I do know: I know how to tell the truth. I know right from wrong. And I know how to do this job. I know how to get things done. And I know, like millions of Americans know, when you get knocked down, you get back up.”
The post Lawyer for Biden’s Doctor Flags Unprecedented GOP Move appeared first on Knewz.
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Author: Samyarup Chowdhury
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