Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
FDA Nominee Stephen Hahn Sidesteps Firm Answer On Flavor Ban While Being Grilled By Senators On Vaping
The New York Times: Trump’s F.D.A. Nominee Sidesteps Questions About Banning Flavored Vaping Products
President Trump’s nominee for Food and Drug Administration commissioner, Dr. Stephen M. Hahn, declined to answer questions from senators in both parties about whether he would push for a ban on flavored vaping products at a confirmation hearing Wednesday. The questions placed Dr. Hahn, a cancer executive without any Washington or governing experience, at the center of a political battle over the surge in teen vaping and the emergence of mysterious vaping-related illnesses that have killed at least 44 people and sickened more than 2,000. (Thomas, 11/20)
The Associated Press: FDA Nominee Ducks Questions On Trump E-Cigarette Flavor Ban
Hahn also told members of the Senate’s health committee that he had not discussed the issue with the president. The full Senate must vote on whether to confirm him to the position. Senators from both parties pressed Hahn on reports that the Trump administration is backing away from the September announcement that it would remove most vaping flavors, which are popular among underage users. Federal law bans sales to those under 18. (11/20)
The Washington Post: Senators Grill Stephen Hahn, Nominee To Head The FDA, On Vaping Policy
On e-cigarettes, anger about the delay in implementing the flavor ban came from both parties during the Hahn hearing. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) called youth vaping “the canary in the coal mine, or better, the child in the vaping room,” and asked Hahn whether the FDA could take action to protect teens if the White House were opposed. Hahn responded that while he was “completely alarmed” by federal data showing that almost 28 percent of high schoolers are vaping, he didn’t want to “prejudge” the administration’s vaping policy and “I don’t have all the facts.” (McGinley, 11/20)
The Wall Street Journal: Senate Panel Presses FDA Nominee On Vaping Flavors Ban
Asked by Sen. Mitt Romney (R., Utah) whether he would act to ban flavors, Dr. Hahn said that “final compliance policy is under consideration” at the White House. Later, Sen. Doug Jones (D., Ala.), said he was impressed by Dr. Hahn overall but was “less than happy with the answers you gave to members of the committee on vaping.” “I’m concerned that the administration has…given you an out to dodge and bob and weave a little bit,” Mr. Jones said. (Burton, 11/20)
Politico: Trump FDA Pick Stops Short Of Committing To Flavor Ban
Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) asked Hahn to commit FDA to disclose any meetings with Juul, saying the popular e-cigarette brand had told her it had multiple meetings with the agency despite publicly promising to suspend lobbying. The company told her that the meetings were not about policy. Hahn said that he was not familiar with the rules around disclosures of meetings but would familiarize himself with it and follow the law. (Owermohle, 11/20)
Bloomberg: FDA Nominee Gets Senate Grilling About Trump’s Vaping Policy
Hahn treated cancer patients immediately upon gaining his medical license, working as a radiation oncologist in Santa Rosa, California, and his last position before being nominated to head the FDA was serving as the chief medical executive at MD Anderson at the University of Texas in Houston, one of the nation’s premier cancer centers. While at MD Anderson, he helped lead a group working to raise the age to 21 for the purchase of tobacco and e-cigarettes. (Porter and Cortez, 11/20)
Politico Pro: Trump's FDA Pick Navigates Confirmation Hearing Without Major Bumps
Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said he hoped to confirm Hahn by the end of the year, with a committee vote on his nomination as early as Dec. 3, when lawmakers return from Thanksgiving recess. Alexander noted the timeline would throw Hahn into the job amid the ongoing outbreak of vaping-linked lung disease and persistently high rates of teen vaping — issues that consumed many lawmakers' questions during the hearing. (Owermohle and Karlin-Smith, 11/20)
Stat: Stephen Hahn, Trump’s FDA Nominee, Pledges ‘Bold Action’ On Vaping But Sidesteps Questions On Flavor Ban
While drug pricing has dominated health policy discussions across Washington in 2019, few senators pressed Hahn on the FDA’s role in facilitating lower drug costs, either via generic or biosimilar drug approvals or by certifying the safety of the Trump administration’s proposal to let states import prescription drugs from Canada. Still, Hahn acknowledged the urgency of action to lower high drug prices in response to questions from Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.). (Facher, 11/20)
