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Senate Confirms Hahn as FDA Commissioner in Bipartisan Vote
Stephen Hahn, MD, received a 72-18 vote into his new role as FDA commissioner.
The US Senate has voted to confirm Stephen Hahn, MD, the former chief medical executive for MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas, as the new commissioner for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
In a 72-18 vote, Hahn received widespread support in his confirmation. The former oncologist’s chops in the healthcare field make him a qualified representative for the FDA, according to Lamar Alexander, the Senate health committee chairman.
“Dr. Hahn has extensive medical and research experience and is a proven leader in large health systems—all around, he is exactly the type of nominee we want to lead an agency as important as the FDA,” Alexander said in a statement on his website. “The Senate health committee I chair received sixteen letters of support for Dr. Hahn representing more than 80 organizations on behalf of doctors, patients, researchers, and from his colleagues. Dr. Hahn has also received support from five previous FDA commissioners, who served under Presidents Trump, Obama and Bush.”
Hahn, who during the confirmation process touted a commitment to regulating and approving medical devices and procedures aimed at improving patient quality of life and outcomes, garnered bipartisan support. His previous experience and promise to lead the FDA will be of benefit to a healthcare administration working to improve public health, according to Alex Azar, security of the Department of Health & Human Services.
“I congratulate Dr. Hahn and thank the Senate for prioritizing his nomination,” Azar wrote in a statement. “President Trump has chosen a superbly qualified leader for FDA, and Dr. Hahn garnered strong bipartisan support. Having a confirmed FDA Commissioner of Dr. Hahn’s caliber will be a major boost to the already rapid pace of the President’s aggressive public health agenda. Dr. Hahn brings an impressive set of scientific and leadership qualifications to the job, and I look forward to seeing the FDA and its people thrive under his leadership.”
While many laud the Senate’s move to confirm Hahn has the next FDA leader, others question his ability to stand up to large corporations, specifically the vaping industry, amid rampant public health concerns. Questions about bans for flavored vaping products were at the center of Hahn’s confirmation hearings, and for some senators his answers were unsatisfactory.
“The Food and Drug Administration has an essential mission to protect the health and safety of all Americans – and its leaders must make decisions based on science, not political influence,” said New Hampshire Senator Maggie Hassan, who was one of the 18 votes against Hahn.
“I voted against confirming Dr. Hahn because at his confirmation hearing, he would not commit that he would put science ahead of politics and corporate special interests,” Hassan continued. “From the opioid crisis to youth e-cigarette use, we need bold and quick action from the FDA, and I will keep doing everything I can to ensure that the FDA’s responses to these urgent public health threats are free from political interference.”
During the hearings, Hahn was non-committal about a flavored vaping product ban.
This comes in contrast to his predecessor, Scott Gottlieb, MD, who took strong stances on public health issues included vaping, opioid use, and drug pricing throughout his tenure as FDA commissioner. Gottlieb announced his resignation from the agency in March 2019.
“I’m immensely grateful for the opportunity to help lead this wonderful agency, for the support of my colleagues, for the public health goals we advanced together, and the strong support of [HHS Secretary Alex Azar] and [President Trump],” Gottlieb wrote on Twitter. “This has been a wonderful journey and parting is very hard.”
Although Gottlieb did not report his reason for leaving his post, he appeared to have left on good terms, receiving praise from Azar after announcing his resignation.
“All of us at HHS are proud of the remarkable work Commissioner Gottlieb has done at the FDA,” Azar said in a statement also posted to Twitter. “He has been an exemplary public health leader, aggressive advocate for American patients, and passionate promoter of innovation. I will personally miss working with Scott on the important goals we share, and I know that is true for so many other members of the HHS family.”
