Senate Panel Advances Nominations for NIH, FDA Heads

President Donald Trump’s picks to head the FDA and NIH advanced through the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on March 13. Dr. Marty Makary would head the FDA if confirmed while Dr. Jay Bhattacharya would direct the NIH. The fate of both nominees is now in the hands of the full Senate, which will vote on their confirmation. A majority vote is required. Republicans hold a 53–47 advantage in the chamber. Makary and Bhattacharya are aligned with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” platform and share his emphasis on vaccine safety, addressing the nation’s chronic disease epidemic, removing chemicals and toxins from food, and bringing transparency to government health agencies....