Hearings to examine the nomination of David Weldon, of Florida, to be Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services.
2025-03-13
Source: Congress.gov
Summary
The Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions held a hearing on nominations for NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya and FDA Commissioner Monty McCary. Senator Bernie Sanders opposed both nominations, arguing that drug prices in the U.S. are unaffordable compared to other nations and that the NIH must challenge pharmaceutical industry pricing. Senator Josh Hawley raised concerns about Dr. McCary’s past support for Biden administration policies, including vaccine mandates and abortion regulations, though he later noted the resignation of a key attorney and supported the nomination. The committee ultimately passed both nominations, with votes held open for Senator Murkowski, who ultimately supported the appointments. The hearing emphasized key policy questions around drug affordability, scientific innovation, and impartial regulatory oversight.
Participants
Transcript
On health education, labor, and pensions, will please come to order. As I start, I'll say to my fellow Republicans, we're one vote short, so when we do vote, I ask everyone on my side to stay until Senator Murkowski's here, because we all need to be here when we finish voting. Their side is free to leave at any time they wish, including before the vote. We're at a critical moment in public health. While the COVID-19 pandemic has ended, the loss of trust in public health and science agencies remains. And this comes as the nation faces serious health threats like a measles outbreak, which has already claimed at least one life, maybe two, and hospitalized many more. One life of a child from a vaccine-preventable disease. So the American people's trust in public health institutions must be restored. To start, we need public health leaders... To start, we need public health leaders committed to transparency and finding unbiased solutions to Americans' most challenging health problems. Bhattacharya and Dr. McCary have demonstrated that they are ready to take on this responsibility. If confirmed as director of the NIH, Dr. Bhattacharya committed to promoting free and open debate at the agency, allowing all viewpoints to find the best outcome for Americans' health. He also discussed modernizing NIH, empowering scientists to find the next life-saving medical breakthrough. Moving on to the Food and Drug Administration. They've confirmed as FDA Commissioner, Dr. McCary committed to promoting medical innovation while upholding FDA's gold standard of review so Americans can benefit from the latest lifesaving medicines and devices. He emphasized the need to address obesity and chronic disease in collaboration with other administration officials. Dr. Bhattacharya and Dr. McCary have the experience and the vision to achieve President Trump's objective of making America healthy again. I support their nominations, urge my colleagues to do the same.
Today, we are voting on the nominations for Director of the NIH, Dr. Jay Bhattacharyya, and the Commissioner of the FDA, Dr. Monty McCary. I will be voting against both of these nominations. The NIH, with a budget of $48 billion, is the largest funder of medical research in the world. This research has led to new treatments and prescription drugs that have significantly improved the lives of Americans and people throughout the world. Every American should be proud of those achievements. But these treatments don't do any good if people cannot afford them. And the truth is that is exactly what is happening in our country today. It is beyond comprehension that we continue to pay, in some cases, 10 times more for the same exact drugs of people in Canada or other countries around the world. People go to the doctor, they get a prescription, they can't afford it. That's absurd. Not only has the federal government not effectively regulated the price of prescription drugs, although we have made progress under the Biden administration in terms of negotiating prescription drug prices with Medicare, the taxpayers of this country over the years have provided hundreds of billions of dollars in research and development into new prescription drugs that have provided enormous benefits. Unfortunately, despite all of the money that we have spent on the development of prescription drugs, drug companies take the money, they say, thank you very much, and they go out and they charge the American people sky-high prices. In 2023, this committee released a report that found that the average price of new treatments that NIH scientists helped invent over the past 20 years is $111,000. $111,000 per treatment. In virtually all cases, American taxpayers are paying far more than people in other countries for the exact same medicine.
In my view, we need an NIH director who is prepared to take on the greed of the pharmaceutical industry and use every tool at his or her disposal to substantially lower the outrageous prices of prescription drugs. Unfortunately, I do not believe that President Trump's nominee to lead the NIH is that person, not just the NIH. The FDA was established by Congress to regulate prescription drugs and the food that we eat, among many other things. According to the FDA's website, its mission is to make medical products more effective, safer, and more affordable. More affordable. Again, all of the great breakthroughs don't mean anything unless people can afford them. And today in America, tens of millions of people cannot afford those treatments. And for that reason, Mr. Chairman, I will also oppose the FDA nominee. Senator Hawley, was this the nomination you wish to speak on? We are waiting for Senator Murkowski. We have a two-minute statement from Senator Hawley, and so we'll do that. Assuming that no one else has a statement, we'll begin the vote.
Sign up for free to see the full transcript
Accounts help us prevent bots from abusing our site. Accounts are free and will allow you to access the full transcript.