Trump Announces Picks to Lead FDA, CDC, and Serve as Surgeon General
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President-elect Donald Trump has announced his chosen candidates to lead the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and to serve as Surgeon General. The nominees are all trained physicians and include Dr. Marty Makary for the FDA, Dr. Dave Weldon for the CDC, and Dr. Janette Nesheiwat for Surgeon General. The candidates must now await Senate confirmation.
Trump Announces Picks for Top Health Spots: FDA, CDC, and Surgeon General
President-elect Donald Trump has revealed his nominees for three key health positions – the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Surgeon General. All under the umbrella of Health and Human Services, the nominees are trained physicians each with unique career paths.
Trump’s Pick for FDA Commissioner
Trump’s choice for FDA Commissioner is Dr. Marty Makary, a surgeon and public policy researcher at Johns Hopkins University. The FDA regulates food safety and drug approvals, including vaccines. Makary, also a member of the National Academy of Medicine, has strong scientific credentials. He has written books critiquing the high cost of healthcare, medical errors, and lack of transparency in medicine. Makary recently criticized how food in the U.S. is grown and processed. Trump stated in the nomination that Makary would assist in reducing bureaucracy at the agency.
Trump’s Nominee for CDC Director
Trump’s selection for the CDC, which protects public health, is Dr. Dave Weldon. Weldon, an internal medicine physician, has served in the army and Congress. Trump mentioned in Weldon’s nomination that he had worked previously with the CDC, pushing through a ban on patenting human embryos. Weldon, a Republican who represented part of Central Florida from 1995 to 2009, spearheaded the passage of the so-called Weldon Amendment, which states that states or health agencies could lose federal funds if they discriminate against those who refuse to provide abortions.
Trump’s Choice for Surgeon General
Trump has nominated Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, a family medicine and emergency medicine physician in New York City, as the next Surgeon General. She sells her own line of supplements and contributes to Fox News. Nesheiwat has been a firm advocate for childhood vaccination, reminding parents that diseases like measles are dangerous. This position might put her at odds with her possible future boss, who has questioned the safety of childhood vaccinations.
All Trump’s picks will require Senate confirmation. For more information, visit www.npr.org.
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