https://issuesinsights.com/2022/02/14/the-fda-needs-reform-bidens-nominee-is-not-the-person-to-do-it/
When President Joe Biden nominated former Obama-era Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf to return to his old post, he made what was widely seen as a safe, if uninspired, choice. He easily sailed through a Dec. 14 Senate committee hearing to vet him. “[Califf] gushed about his love of high-quality data, skillfully navigated questions on hot-button topics like abortion and drug pricing, and even had personal anecdotes about COVID-19 testing and opioid prescribing at the ready,” according to Stat.
Since then, Califf has encountered some opposition to his confirmation, even from Democrats. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., cited the need for a change in “culture at the FDA.” And from his perch in congressional La La Land, Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., doubted that Califf would be “willing to stand up to the greed and power of the pharmaceutical industry.” He is shocked – shocked – that former FDA commissioners would be hired as consultants to drug companies.
However, the final Senate vote is likely this week, reflecting that Majority Leader Chuck Schumer thinks he has the votes for confirmation.
Dr. Califf is a distinguished cardiologist and clinical trial specialist, but the day-to-day regulatory decision-making happens at the organizational levels below the commissioner. The FDA, a huge and critically important but dysfunctional organization, now needs a bold, clear-thinking reformer to lead it, but Califf, the ultimate insider, has the ideal resume to keep it on the wrong path.