Trump’s FDA pick to face scrutiny over abortion pill access at confirmation hearing - NBC News
Dr. Heidi Overton, President Trump's nominee for FDA commissioner, faced intense questioning from senators regarding her stance on abortion medication, vaccines, and vaping regulations. She largely avoided direct answers, citing her commitment to following existing law and FDA procedures.
Why it matters
The confirmation of an FDA head is critical for public health policy, particularly regarding access to reproductive healthcare and the agency's independence from political pressure.
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Food and Drug Administration repeatedly sidestepped questions about the abortion pill, vaccines and fruit-flavored vapes during her Senate confirmation hearing Thursday. Dr. Heidi Overton, a preventive medicine doctor who serves as a domestic policy official in the White House, declined to say whether she personally believes the abortion pill mifepristone is safe, despite previously describing medication abortion as “dangerous to women.” She also wouldn’t say whether Trump was wrong last month when he called the measles vaccine “lethal,” even as she repeatedly affirmed that the vaccine is safe and effective.
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