Trump’s Nominees to Run FDA, NIH Get Greenlighted by Senate Committee

The Senate Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions (HELP) Committee voted Thursday to recommend that the Senate confirm President Trump’s nominees to run the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the FDA.

The vote to confirm Jay Bhattacharya, MD, as NIH director was 12-11, entirely along party lines. The vote to confirm Marty Makary, MD, MPH, as FDA commissioner was a little more lopsided at 14-9, with Democrats Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire and John Hickenlooper of Colorado crossing over to vote for Makary, a Johns Hopkins surgical oncologist and medical researcher who is former medical editor-in-chief of MedPage Today.

HELP Committee Chair Bill Cassidy, MD (R-La.), expressed confidence in both nominees. “We’re at a critical moment in public health,” he said. “The loss of trust in public health and science agencies … comes as the nation faces serious health threats, like a measles outbreak, which has already claimed at least one life, maybe two, and hospitalized many more … We need public health leaders committed to transparency and finding unbiased solutions to America’s most challenging health problems.”

“Dr. Bhattacharya and Dr. Makary have demonstrated that they are ready to take on this responsibility,” Cassidy continued. “If confirmed as director of the NIH, Dr. Bhattacharya committed to promoting free and open debate at the agency, allowing all viewpoints to find the best outcome for Americans’ health … [And] if confirmed as FDA commissioner, Dr. Makary committed to promoting medical innovation while upholding FDA’s gold standard of review so Americans can benefit from the latest life-saving medicines and devices.” He added that both nominees “have the experience and the vision to achieve President Trump’s objective of making America healthy again.”

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the committee’s ranking member, disagreed. “I will be voting against both of these nominees,” said Sanders. “NIH, with a budget of $48 billion, is the largest funder of medical research in the world. This research has led to new treatments and prescription drugs that have significantly improved the lives of Americans and people throughout the world … But these treatments don’t do any good if people cannot afford them. And that is exactly what is happening in our country today.”

“We need an NIH director who is prepared to take on the greed of the pharmaceutical industry and use every tool at his or her disposal to substantially lower the outrageous prices of prescription drugs,” said Sanders. “Unfortunately, I do not believe that President Trump’s nominee to lead the NIH is that person.”

As for Makary? “According to the FDA website, its mission is to make medical products more effective, safer, and more affordable,” he continued. “Again, all of the great breakthroughs don’t mean anything unless people can’t afford them. And today in America, tens of millions of people cannot afford those treatments. And for that reason I will also oppose the FDA nominee.”

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), who voted in favor of both nominees, explained that he was initially “alarmed” over Makary’s support for Hilary Perkins, a former Biden administration official, as the FDA’s chief counsel. Perkins “has repeatedly argued in favor of the Biden administration’s rules on the chemical abortion drug mifepristone in case after case after case,” Hawley said. “This, frankly, flew in the face of what Dr. Makary told me in terms of his unbiased view on this. He said he would carry out a close review of that drug.”

In addition, Hawley said, he learned that Perkins had argued in favor of vaccine mandates and against exceptions to them, and also argued in favor of firing federal officials who refused the vaccine mandate. “I was stunned to hear about this, and frankly I was very, very alarmed, and it called into question to me, Dr. Makary’s judgment.”

However, he added, “I’m pleased to see that as of this morning, [Makary] has withdrawn his support from this individual. She has resigned as chief counsel at the FDA. He has reconsidered that judgment, and that gives me some confidence.”

Nothing was said at the hearing about the Trump administration’s withdrawal of Dave Weldon, MD, its nominee to run the CDC, only a few hours before the HELP committee’s hearing on Weldon was to begin. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said that Weldon — whose vaccine skepticism had been drawing controversy — wasn’t ready for the role, Axios reported.

The Bhattacharya and Makary nominations must still be approved by the full Senate; it is unclear when those votes will take place. The Senate is currently headed for a recess next week.

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