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Senators to Question FDA Nominee 09/24 06:26
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump's nominee to take over the
https://apnews.com/hub/us-food-and-drug-administration is set to answer
questions Thursday, with Senate lawmakers likely to focus on her plans for
https://apnews.com/article/vaccines-trump-mmr-drugmakers-5a1d91e149feab99b18dd91
6412523ee, the
https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pills-telehealth-ac00f11d879eb890b572d0a5eb7
9dae4 and other products that have come under new scrutiny at the regulatory
agency.
Dr. Heidi Overton, a physician and top White House aide, has spent most of
her career working for Trump or conservative groups aligned with his agenda.
That connection may prompt questions from some members of the Senate health
committee which is considering her nomination.
In her current role as a domestic policy adviser, Overton worked on several
White House health initiatives, including the
https://apnews.com/article/dietary-guidelines-health-agriculture-federal-nutriti
on-2d8fa56be3c5900fc45116af7c69d786 and efforts to overhaul childhood vaccines.
Previously she was an executive at the America First Policy Institute,
authoring papers critical of abortion and transgender care. During Trump's
first term, she served as a White House fellow.
If confirmed by the Senate, Overton would inherit a raft of controversial
projects, including a safety review of the nation's principal abortion drug, a
plan to
https://apnews.com/article/vaccine-research-autism-trump-kennedy-rfk-d10f81f221c
4ae9f5b2f83dd0ee98b29 and new rules that
https://apnews.com/article/fda-vaping-ecigarettes-trump-makary-fe31c6e2dcda2f077
134faa25e7012adhttps://apnews.com/article/fda-ecigarettes-vaping-fruit-glas-juul
-njoy-52f9156a6e46e8e3369418c16ca1220b.
All three policies break from FDA's longstanding positions, especially on
the safety of childhood vaccines. Overton stood beside Trump and
https://apnews.com/article/rfk-jr-maha-health-policy-healthcare-88fe8ffee685d48f
8256c9596d7ba0fa in the Oval Office last month when they
https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-trump-vaccines-schedule-executive-order-au
tism-287503e351b38ec01ac7377eadbc22c4 that the use of combination vaccines
could be a contributor to autism.
Health committee chairman Sen. Bill Cassidy, a physician from Louisiana,
called Overton's support for that plan to space out vaccinations "almost
disqualifying."
But Cassidy and other Senate Republicans may find common ground with Overton
on abortion. Cassidy and several colleagues have spent months urging the FDA to
restrict access to
https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pills-mifepristone-supreme-court-louisiana-0
533e83d67148fdfec53b1d0d30c1e8a, the pill currently used in most abortions in
the U.S.
The FDA first approved mifepristone in 2000 and has repeatedly affirmed its
safety while broadening access, including allowing it to be sent through the
mail. But Kennedy ordered a reevaluation of the drug's safety last year,
following calls from anti-abortion groups and lawmakers aligned with Trump.
FDA officials have said almost nothing about the review, except that it is
ongoing.
While working at the America First Policy Institute, Overton blasted the
FDA's 2023 decision -- under President Joe Biden -- to allow mail delivery of
mifepristone, referring to the practice as "chemical abortion on demand."
She was similarly critical of the administration's approach to transgender
care for children, including providing access to puberty-blocking drugs and
gender-affirming surgeries.
Overton co-authored a 2024 article about then-vice presidential candidate
and Minnesota governor Tim Walz, titled: "Tim Walz Made Minnesota A 'Sanctuary'
For Baby Killers And Child Mutilators."
Overton's abortion views could complicate her efforts to win over two
moderate Republicans on the panel: Maine Sen. Susan Collins and Alaska Sen.
Lisa Murkowski. Both have bucked their party on the issue, supporting federal
access to abortion. Collins is currently locked in a tight reelection race
where abortion access is a central issue.
To become commissioner, Overton will need a majority of votes from the
21-member health committee, followed by a positive vote from the full Senate.
Headquartered in the suburbs outside Washington, the FDA oversees U.S.
medical products plus billions of dollars in food, cosmetics, tobacco and
vaping products.
Under the current administration, leading the agency has involved balancing
Trump's demands for slashing regulations -- such as those for vaping products
-- alongside Kennedy's interests in scrutinizing vaccines, drugs and food
ingredients.
Those challenges dogged the tenure of the previous FDA head,
https://apnews.com/article/fda-trump-makary-vaccines-ultraprocessed-food-safety-
ce9df8eb4bba5c950e500c62d975afe2, who
https://apnews.com/article/fda-trump-makary-kennedy-vaccines-drugs-ef151784342c4
8cca3b91a829d615b5e. Makary's time at the agency was defined by scientific
disputes, leadership changes and a string of media stories detailing low morale
and internal dysfunction among staffers. The FDA has lost about 20% of its
employees to layoffs, buyouts, retirements or resignations since Trump took
office.
Overton studied under Makary at Johns Hopkins University, where she received
a doctoral degree in clinical research after earning her medical degree at the
University of New Mexico.
Like Makary, Overton has no experience running a large bureaucracy, a
critical skill for steering the FDA's 16,000 staffers spread across numerous
U.S. and international locations.
In financial disclosure forms, Overton reported no investments in health
care or food companies. That's a stark contrast to Makary and other recent FDA
nominees who have had to divest investments or cut other financial ties with
companies regulated by the FDA.
Overton reported $50,000 to $100,000 in student loans.
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