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Dr. Robert Califf was narrowly confirmed by the Senate on Tuesday to lead the Food and Drug Administration, placing him back in the role he held during the final year of the Obama administration.
The Senate confirmed President Biden’s nominee 50-46, after Califf received opposition from Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), who argued the doctor bore “a great deal of responsibility” for massive drug overdose deaths that have happened since his last tenure in the position.
Califf, a longtime cardiology professor at Duke University, served in the role for a short 11 months and was replaced by former President Donald Trump at the start of his administration. For his first tenure, Califf was easily confirmed, 89-4.
He was nominated to the position by the president in November. Califf will be taking over from Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock.
The agency, which has lacked a permanent leader since Biden took office, has been under fire over the past year for not acting fast enough to approve possibly life-saving vaccines and treatments for t he coronavirus.
While many Democrats supported Califf for the position, he has drawn scrutiny over his past ties to the pharmaceutical industry.
In November, Manchin blasted his nomination as an “insult to the many families and individuals who have had their lives changed forever” by opioid addiction.
“I could not support Dr. Califf’s nomination in 2016 and I cannot support it now.”
Ahead of Tuesday’s vote, the West Virginia lawmaker urged his colleagues to vote against Califf’s confirmation, saying, “Nothing that Dr. Califf has said or done has led me to believe he will operate the FDA any differently than he did during his previous tenure,” according to the Associated Press.
Democratic Sens. Ed Markey of Massachusetts, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, as well as independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont joined Manchin in voting against, citing his ties to the pharmaceutical industry.
Most GOP lawmakers objected to his nomination, with Republican groups urging their senators to, pointing to his support for the FDA’s decision to ease access to abortion pills.
Democrats were able to confirm Califf with votes in favor from Republican Sens. Roy Blunt of Missouri, Richard Burr of North Carolina, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah and Patrick Toomey of Pennsylvania, according to The Hill.
Before the vote, Burr called Califf a “supremely qualified nominee with bipartisan support,” adding, “The FDA has an opportunity to be forever changed for the better, but needs effective leadership to get there.”
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