Another Democratic senator is openly opposing President Obama’s nominee to lead the Food and Drug Administration.
Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., said Wednesday he would filibuster Robert Califf’s nomination due to “strong ties” to the pharmaceutical industry. He is the third Democratic senator in about a week to voice objections, with Sens. Ed Markey, D-Mass., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., placing holds on Califf’s nomination.
Manchin goes a step further by saying that he is going to filibuster the nomination. A hold can be requested but the majority leader must approve it, and even then it can be stopped by a cloture vote.
Califf was previously a researcher at Duke University before becoming the deputy commissioner of medical products. He performed clinical trials for pharma giants such as Merck and Eli Lilly.
Manchin has been a frequent critic of the FDA, which he says approves too many new opioid painkillers that have a fueled an epidemic that has ravaged his state.
“We need to change the culture of the FDA, and that will not happen if the person at the helm is not a champion who is committed to pushing back against the pressure to continually approve new opioid medications given the significant risks to public health,” Manchin said.
Markey also opposed Califf’s nomination due to concerns about opioid approvals, while Sanders believed Califf wouldn’t do enough to combat high drug prices.
