SENATE HOLD REMAINS AS VON ESCHENBACH NOMINATION PASSES COMMITTEE
The Bush administration's nomination of Andrew von Eschenbach to be the next FDA commissioner is still facing a hold on the Senate floor even as the nomination passed out of committee Sept. 20 by a voice vote.
Von Eschenbach has not taken the steps to protect the public's health that should be expected from a permanent commissioner, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) said in a statement explaining his hold on the nominee. DeMint is calling on the agency to suspend sales of the contraceptive RU-486, pending an investigation into safety concerns.
"I believe a qualified FDA nominee would publicly discourage the use of RU-486 and take immediate steps to suspend the drug until a full investigation can be completed," DeMint said. "Dr. von Eschenbach has now been the acting FDA commissioner for a year, yet he has done nothing to publicly discourage the use of this deadly drug."
Von Eschenbach is also facing a hold from Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), who wants the agency to allow some form of drug importation. Vitter's office did not respond to a request for comment.
But von Eschenbach has a powerful ally in Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), who shepherded the nomination through his committee. The senator will work with Senate leadership to get the hold removed, an Enzi spokesman said. Enzi commented in a statement that von Eschenbach has the "qualifications to head up the agency and bring about reforms necessary to restore consumer confidence in our nation's food and drug watchdog agency."
The nominee is also under pressure from frequent FDA critic Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who wrote the agency Sept. 20 urging it to improve its handling of drug safety risks and increase the transparency in the preapproval process. "I am writing this letter to encourage you to establish and implement a resuscitation plan to restore the FDA's credibility in the mind of its own employees and the American public," Grassley said. "An agency that hemorrhages whistleblowers is an agency needing critical care."