Trump picks White House aide Heidi Overton for FDA commissioner, setting up Senate fights over vaccine policy, abortion pill access, and industry regulation.
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Dr. Heidi Overton, a deputy director of the White House Domestic Policy Council and a medical doctor, has been nominated to lead the Food and Drug Administration, President Donald Trump announced Wednesday.
Overton is a trusted administration figure who has helped craft several of Trump's second-term health initiatives, including his recent executive order directing the FDA to separate the combined measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine into three separate shots. At an Oval Office event promoting that order, she stood by Trump as he falsely linked rising autism rates to vaccine schedules, contradicting decades of scientific consensus that has found no such connection.
If confirmed by the narrowly Republican-led Senate, Overton would inherit an agency that has been through a leadership exodus. The previous commissioner, Dr. Marty Makary, resigned in May after a tenure marked by complaints from drugmakers, anti-abortion activists, and industry executives. Several of Makary's deputies also quit, including vaccine and biotech chief Dr. Vinay Prasad, who stepped down in April.
Overton's nomination has drawn immediate pushback from both sides of the aisle. Senate Health Committee chair Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican and physician, posted Wednesday that he has "strong concerns" about Overton's lack of managerial experience and her role in the vaccine order, which he called "almost disqualifying." Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington called her a "far-right, anti-abortion extremist."
Abortion pills on the line
Overton has been critical of mifepristone, the drug used in the majority of U.S. medication abortions. Medical professionals describe it as "among the safest medications" ever approved by the FDA, the agency has said. If confirmed, she would be positioned to roll back FDA rules that expanded access to the pill. Abortion opponents have pressed the administration to act, arguing that online prescribing undermines state abortion bans.
Pharma and biotech grievances
Makary tried to speed up drug approvals after biotech companies, investors, and patient groups complained about rejections and reversals of rare-disease therapies. Some of his initiatives created new procedural headaches for the agency. Overton would face similar pressure from companies that saw their drugs denied or delayed.
Kennedy's health movement
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who leads the "Make America Healthy Again" campaign, backed Overton, posting that she has "exceptional judgment, professionalism, discipline and an unwavering commitment to the American people." But some MAHA activists are skeptical. Kelly Ryerson, an activist critical of pesticides known as "Glyphosate Girl," told The Associated Press that Overton echoed Bayer's talking points during an April roundtable. "I was stunned by the blatant, undisguised corruption," Ryerson said.
Overton would need to manage Kennedy's priorities, including a first-of-its-kind definition of ultraprocessed foods, a review of antidepressants, and a proposed rule requiring food makers to notify regulators before introducing new ingredients. A federal health advisory panel recently recommended easing access to several peptides popular with wellness influencers, despite FDA scientists warning the chemicals have not been shown safe or effective.
Foodborne outbreaks
The FDA is currently investigating two summer outbreaks: a cyclospora outbreak linked to tainted iceberg lettuce that has sickened thousands, and a salmonella outbreak tied to jalapeño peppers.
Confirmation path
Overton attended medical school at the University of New Mexico and holds a doctorate in clinical investigation from Johns Hopkins. She previously served as chief policy officer at the America First Policy Institute, a conservative think tank. Before joining the White House, she worked on several of Trump's "most favored nation" drug-pricing deals aimed at matching prices in other developed countries.
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee will hold confirmation hearings. Cassidy's opposition could complicate the nomination in a chamber where Republicans hold only a narrow majority.
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