Lester Crawford is Thompson’s Choice for FDA Head, New York Times Says
HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson is seeking support on Capitol Hill for food safety expert Dr. Lester Crawford to become FDA commissioner, though he has not publicly announced Crawford as his choice, the New York Times reports. The Times, which cites the information to "people familiar with the selection process," adds that the White House has not yet approved Crawford as its nominee for the position. Crawford is currently the director of the Center for Food and Nutrition Policy, which is affiliated with Virginia Tech. Last week in a speech to the National Association of Manufacturers, Thompson said his choice was a scientist "with a great reputation," whom the White House was "vetting." During his remarks, Thompson also said that Sens. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), respectively the chair and ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, were "enthusiastic and supportive" of his choice. Thompson added that all that remains for Crawford to be nominated is an announcement by President Bush and an FBI background check. "[W]e're confident we'll get it done as quickly as we possibly can," Thompson said. The Times notes that in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, "some say it has become especially important to fill" the top job at the FDA, which would be closely involved in efforts to increase vaccine production as protection against bioterrorism. However, the Times reports that any background check may take time, since the FBI is currently focusing on its investigation into the attacks (Stolberg, New York Times, 10/3).
Previous Federal Experience
Crawford has previous government experience, serving as head of the FDA's Center of Veterinary Medicine and from 1987 to 1991 as administrator of the Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service. From 1993 to 1997, Crawford was the executive director of the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (Center for Food and Nutrition Policy Web site, 10/3). The Times reports that while the Bush administration and Congress have so far been unable to agree on a commissioner, Crawford may not receive the complaints that some senators had on earlier suggestions. In July, for example, the administration floated Michael Astrue, the general counsel of Transkaryotic Therapies Inc., for FDA commissioner. However, Kennedy and seven other Democratic senators objected to Astrue's industry ties, saying in a letter to Bush that it would be "unprecedented for the commissioner to be appointed from an agency regulated by the FDA." Crawford, whose Center for Food and Nutrition Policy is independently financed, "appears to escape that criticism," though some consumer advocates say the center "receives too much support from industry," the Times reports (New York Times, 10/3).
