NewzWASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s nominee to take over the Food and Drug Administration is facing questions Thursday from senators focused on her plans for vaccines, the abortion pill 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 revamped food pyramid and an executive order aimed at reducing childhood vaccinations.
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 break up combination vaccines and new rules that make it easier to sell flavored electronic cigarettes.All three policies break from FDA’s longstanding positions, especially on the safety of childhood vaccines. Overton stood beside the Republican president and Health Secretary Robert F.
Kennedy in the Oval Office last month when they falsely suggested that the use of combination vaccines could be a contributor to autism.Overton's views on abortion could be keyIn opening remarks Thursday, committee chairman Sen. Bill Cassidy said Trump's order “is based on zero scientific evidence.” Cassidy, a physician from Louisiana, said he would also ask Overton to unequivocally reject a remark from Trump that the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is “quite lethal.”“This committee needs to know whether you will be radically honest, whether you will use your authority to stand up for sound science and protect children’s health," Cassidy said.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 mifepristone, 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 acce…
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. 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… The Senate health committee will hold a confirmation hearing on Thursday for Heidi Overton, President Donald Trump's pick to lead the Food and Drug Administration.
In her current role as a domestic policy adviser, Overton worked on several White House health initiatives, including the revamped food pyramid and efforts to overhaul childhood vaccines. 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 break up combination vaccines and new rules that make it easier to sellflavored electronic cigarettes.
All three policies break from FDA’s longstanding positions, especially on the safety of childhood vaccines. Overton stood beside Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. 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.
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