Overton affirmed that the MMR vaccine and all FDA-approved shots are safe and effective, addressing an outbreak that has infected nearly 6,000 people over 19 months.
Overton stated mifepristone remains safe as labeled, leading Senator Josh Hawley to threaten withholding confirmation support over conflicts with administration litigation.
Overton called for faster drug approval processes to maintain competitiveness against China, while Senator Susan Collins questioned August authorizations for flavored e-cigarettes.
The Senate Finance Committee voted 15 to 12 on Thursday to advance Chris Klomp as deputy secretary of Health and Human Services despite tax scrutiny from Senator Ron Wyden.
Dr. Heidi Overton, President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Food and Drug Administration, defended the safety of routine immunizations during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Thursday. Overton testified that the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is safe, effective, and the primary tool to manage the ongoing domestic outbreak. Her statements departed from earlier public assertions by Trump suggesting the MMR shot could be lethal. Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy, a physician from Louisiana, pressed Overton on how she would navigate political interference from the White House, citing unfulfilled commitments from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Overton maintained that she would provide independent counsel while following federal statutory requirements for drug approvals.
“Every vaccine on the US market right now is safe and effective according to the FDA.”
Lawmakers from both parties scrutinized Overton over the regulatory status of mifepristone, a medication used in more than two-thirds of abortions in the United States. In response to questions from Wisconsin Democrat Tammy Baldwin, Overton affirmed that mifepristone remains safe and effective under its current FDA label, though she declined to comment on the outcome of an active agency safety review. Missouri Republican Josh Hawley challenged that position, arguing that defending the existing label undermined the administration's courtroom challenges against Biden-era telehealth distribution rules. Hawley informed reporters following the hearing that he may oppose her confirmation without explicit clarification on the administration's litigation posture. The FDA originally approved mifepristone in 2000, but Kennedy directed the agency to re-evaluate the medication last year following requests from anti-abortion organizations.
In her opening remarks, Overton called for accelerated drug review timelines to protect American biotechnology leadership from growing competition in China. Maine Republican Susan Collins questioned the nominee over the FDA's August authorization of flavored electronic cigarettes and nicotine pouches, including blueberry, mango, and cappuccino varieties. Industry representatives have also sought regulatory predictability; Genentech senior vice president Fritz Bittenbender stated at a Wednesday event that biotechnology firms require both faster reviews and consistency for therapies already undergoing evaluation. Independent Senator Bernie Sanders pressed Overton on whether she would challenge presidential directives that contradict scientific consensus, to which Overton responded that her long tenure advising Trump earned his trust through robust discussions.
Simultaneously on Thursday, the Senate Finance Committee voted 15 to 12 to advance Chris Klomp to a full Senate vote for deputy secretary of Health and Human Services. Klomp, an adviser to Kennedy who leads international drug price negotiations and assisted in selecting Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Erica Schwartz, secured support from all panel Republicans and Rhode Island Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse. Senate Finance Committee ranking Democrat Ron Wyden opposed Klomp, pointing to confidential terms in drug price pacts with two dozen pharmaceutical companies and disputed self-employment taxes from 2022 to 2024 related to Klomp's investment firm, the Endurance Companies. Klomp previously testified that the measles outbreak, which began 19 months ago and has infected nearly 6,000 individuals, represents a top public health priority.
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Dr. Heidi Overton told the Senate health panel that FDA-approved vaccines and mifepristone remain safe and effective, as the Senate Finance Committee advanced Chris Klomp for deputy health secretary.
AI text based on reports by POLITICO, Axios, The Guardian and other publishers. Published .