Witness says they will advocate against TV junk-food ads but notes surgeon general cannot ban them

A witness testifying during proceedings before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions said they would use their platform to press for fewer television advertisements for junk and ultra‑processed foods, but acknowledged limits on the office’s legal authority.

An unnamed senator, identified in the transcript as "Senator Sanders," opened the exchange by asking whether the witness had come out against junk‑food advertising on television and whether they would use their position to ban such ads. The witness replied that they agreed with the senator’s concerns but said "the surgeon general's office does not have the purview to ban this."

The witness said they would nonetheless "absolutely" lend their voice to highlight the dangers of ultra‑processed foods and to push to get those advertisements off TV, adding, "I think you will be frustrated by how much I will be talking about ultra processed foods." The senator responded, "I won't be frustrated. I'd be delighted."

The exchange centered on advocacy rather than an enforceable remedy. The witness framed the role they expect to play as public education and pressure rather than the exercise of regulatory power, repeatedly noting the office’s lack of authority to impose a ban. The transcript does not record any formal vote, motion, or next procedural step tied to the statements.

The brief back‑and‑forth underscores the tension between public‑health advocacy and the legal or regulatory limits of the surgeon general’s office when it comes to broadcast advertising policy.