Usually, a Senate vote over the head of the FDA is unlikely to generate significant controversy. But considering the scandals surrounding Bush’s FDA, and his announcement yesterday to keep the acting commissioner on as the agency’s permanent chief, a political fight is inevitable.
Lester M. Crawford, who has been running the Food and Drug Administration as acting commissioner during a period when the agency was repeatedly buffeted by drug safety controversies and unprecedented internal dissent, was chosen yesterday by President Bush to be permanent head of the agency.
The nomination was applauded by pharmaceutical industry trade organizations, which said Crawford brings deep experience and a cool head to the job.
But some public-interest health groups, as well as some members of Congress, voiced deep reservations. They said Crawford has not aggressively attacked drug safety problems, has allowed some internal dissent to be stifled and has shown a tendency to buckle in the face of political pressure.
Bush seems to be testing Congress with this one, seeing how much he can get away with. There’s really no other explanation for it, because the FDA under Crawford’s adjunct leadership has been a disaster. I know this is the gang that likes to promote those who fail, but this is ridiculous.
“In some cases the FDA has disregarded important concerns and warnings from its own best scientists,” said Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), who held hearings last year that elicited intensely critical testimony. “During Senate consideration of Dr. Crawford’s nomination, I want to hear statements that prove he understands why public confidence has been shaken and a commitment to enacting reforms inside the FDA to keep the agency focused on public health and safety.” The appointment must be confirmed by the Senate.
It’s tough competition, but Bush’s FDA has been among the worst run agencies in the executive branch. In nearly every instance, these problems — including a series high-profile prescription drug debacles — occurred under Crawford’s watch.
Indeed, this is the same FDA that:
* knew about the flu vaccine shortage for over a year and decided to do nothing about it.
* is “virtually incapable of protecting America” from unsafe medication because it is so cozy with the pharmaceutical industry.
* deleted information on the risks of antidepressant drugs from records submitted to Congress and then concealed the deletions.
* removes experts from public health panels if they criticize drug manufacturers.
* gives tips to pharmaceutical industry insiders on how to escape oversight from its own agency regulations.
Best of all, Crawford has been of the leading opponents of reimportation of prescription medication from Canada and Europe, once going so far as to argue that reimportation would make us more vulnerable to a terrorist attack.
Considering all of this, Bush believes the best person to head the FDA is the same person who’s helped make the agency a laughing stock.