Washington Post Examines Vacant FDA Commissioner Post

The Washington Post on July 15 examines the "intense partisan politics" that have delayed the filling of the vacant FDA commissioner position, which has been empty since President Bush took office. Some industry experts have expressed concern that without a confirmed leader, the FDA cannot make major decisions on topics such as bioterrorism. According to unidentified sources involved in the selection process, the position remains open because of a "struggle" between the Bush administration and Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), who leads the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which recommends to the Senate whether to confirm a nominee. The Post reports that Karl Rove, Bush's chief political adviser, has been a "champion" of the pharmaceutical industry -- a major financial contributor to the Republican party -- which has strong opinions on how the FDA should be run. However, Kennedy has been adamant that the new commissioner should not have "direct ties" to the pharmaceutical industry. People watching the selection process say it "appears increasingly unlikely" that a commissioner will be named until after the November elections, when Republicans hope to take control of the Senate (Kaufman, Washington Post, 7/15).