Trump Announces Picks for FDA, CDC, Surgeon General; NIH Director Still Pending

TL/DR –

Donald Trump has selected his candidates for several high-profile healthcare roles within the federal government; Marty Makary for FDA administrator, Dave Weldon for CDC director, and Janette Nesheiwat for Surgeon General. Makary is considered Trump’s least controversial selection due to his extensive experience as a surgeon and public healthcare writer, while Weldon and Nesheiwat’s appointments may face more scrutiny due to Weldon’s pro-life views and anti-vaccine stance, and Nesheiwat’s promotion of her own vitamin and mineral supplement. Stanford University professor, Jay Bhattacharya is expected to be named as the NIH director, which is currently the only role left unfilled.

President-Elect Donald Trump Fills Major Healthcare Positions

President-Elect Donald Trump has announced his selections for key healthcare roles including the FDA administrator, CDC director, and Surgeon General, leaving only the directorship of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) vacant. Stanford University professor, Jay Bhattacharya, M.D.,Ph.D., has been touted as Trump’s likely choice for NIH director by several news outlets.

Marty Makary, M.D., M.P.H., a surgeon at Johns Hopkins and a member of the National Academy of Medicine, has been nominated as Trump’s least controversial healthcare choice. Quoting Jerome Adams, the surgeon general in the first Trump administration, Stat stated, “Makary is a reasonable pick to lead the FDA and perhaps the least surprising or controversial of Trump’s health picks so far.”

The Washington Post reported that Trump’s choice for CDC director is Dave Weldon, M.D., a former representative from the Space Coast district of central Florida. Weldon, known for his pro-life stance, has previously advocated for the theory that vaccines cause autism and pushed for thimerosal to be removed from flu shots.

Janette Nesheiwat, M.D., Trump’s pick for Surgeon General, is a Fox News medical contributor and author of the book “Beyond the Stethoscope: Miracles in Medicine.” She also sells a vitamin and mineral supplement marketed as an immune booster on her website.

Following the appointment of Makary, Weldon, and Nesheiwat, Trump also announced that he would be nominating Mehmet Oz, M.D., television doctor and 2022 Republican Senate candidate in Pennsylvania, for CMS administrator, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as HHS secretary.

Unless recess appointments are made to bypass the Senate, all six positions require confirmation by a simple majority Senate vote. Republicans are predicted to hold a 53-47 majority in next year’s Congress. Kennedy and Weldon may face scrutiny due to their controversial views on vaccines and autism, and Weldon’s strong pro-life stance may also elicit opposition.

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