Senate confirms Trump picks for FDA and NIH
Drs Bhattacharya and Makary at Senate nomination hearings.
The US Senate has endorsed Martin Makary as the new FDA Commissioner and Jay Bhattacharya as director of the NIH, while Mehmet Oz moved a step closer to taking the helm of the Centres for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Makary was confirmed with a solid 56 to 44 vote, with three Democrats crossing the political divide to back the Johns Hopkins surgeon and writer. He is considered one of the least controversial nominations for a top health role by US President Donald Trump despite some outspoken positions during the COVID-19 pandemic on vaccination policies.
Meanwhile, physician and Stanford University health economist Bhattacharya – who also made headlines during the pandemic for his opposition to lockdowns and calls for targeted vaccination for vulnerable people only – made it through the Senate vote by a margin of 53 to 47.
Both will take over federal agencies dealing with the fallout of massive job reductions and no small amount of disruption and chaos imposed by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Makary and Bhattacharya faced intense questioning by lawmakers during nomination hearings held by the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) committee, and were pressed particularly hard on their stance on vaccinations. That is an issue that has risen to the fore since vaccine sceptic Robert F Kennedy Jr was appointed to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the FDA, NIH, and CMS, as well as other agencies, including the CDC.
While both the candidates came out broadly in favour of vaccines, they also toed the Trump administration line by saying they were open to re-evaluating the safety data behind immunisation – to the obvious irritation of some committee members.
Makary was quizzed on decisions by the FDA to cancel a flu vaccine meeting as well as abortion rights, the FDA's regulation of abortion pill mifepristone, and the impact of job losses on the FDA's ability to fulfil its functions effectively, while Bhattacharya fielded questions on cuts to research funding and staffing reductions.
Oz clears finance committee hearing
Celebrity doctor and talk show host Oz, meanwhile, is on the brink of confirmation as CMS head after the Senate Finance Committee voted in favour of his appointment by a 14 to 13 margin. That went along party lines, with Democrats repeatedly highlighting his lack of experience in federal government and health policy matters.
Oz sidestepped questions on topics such as whether he supported proposed Medicaid cuts, the privatisation of Medicare, and higher premiums under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Instead, he responded in general terms about his plans to improve the health of Americans and to improve the efficiency of the US health system by reducing "fraud, waste, and abuse." His nomination will now advance to a full Senate vote.
