Senate HELP Committee Says Permanent FDA Commissioner Needed

The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee sent a letter to President Bush requesting he nominate a permanent FDA commissioner "as soon as possible" and promising the president a prompt hearing on such a nominee.

Committee chairman Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), ranking member Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and 15 other committee members argued that an acting commissioner does not possess the clout necessary to head an agency that is increasingly under fire.

"An acting commissioner, regardless of his or her qualifications and accomplishments, simply lacks the mandate for action that comes only through the constitutional process that includes the commissioner's nomination by the president and subsequent confirmation by the Senate," the committee's letter said.

The committee also noted that bringing permanent leadership to the FDA is particularly important right now because the agency is at a "critical juncture" in its history. "Congress and the public are intensely scrutinizing the agency's processes for reviewing drug applications and for ensuring drug safety," the letter said. "The FDA needs a leader with the vision to guide the agency through this critical period and maintain the public's confidence in its work."