NIH Director Nominee, Dr. Bhattacharya, Voted Through HELP Committee; CDC Nomination Pulled

On March 13, the nomination of Dr. Jay Bhattacharya advanced through the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee in a 12-11 vote along party lines, overcoming the first hurdle for being confirmed as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director (see previous COSSA coverage). The next step is a confirmation vote by the full Senate, which has not yet been scheduled.

During his confirmation hearing on March 5, Bhattacharya stated an intent to refocus NIH’s research efforts on addressing chronic diseases, aligning with Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, as well as investing in cutting edge research. HELP Committee Chair Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), who released a white-paper on recommendations to improve the NIH last session, questioned Bhattacharya on the decline of vaccination rates across the country, seeking assurance that the NIH, under his leadership, would address this issue. In his response, Bhattacharya underscored the importance of data and research but declined to consider other methods of improving declining vaccination rates. Further, when pressed by Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) on the proposal to cap the National Institutes of Health (NIH) indirect costs at 15 percent, Bhattacharya confirmed he would follow the law if confirmed as NIH Director. Currently, the proposal is paused by the federal courts for violating federal law (see previous COSSA coverage). A full video of the hearing can be viewed here.

In other news, the Trump Administration’s nomination for Director of the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Dave Weldon, was pulled the morning of his first confirmation hearing. Rumors suggest a lack of support for the nomination played a part in this decision. It is unclear who President Trump intends to nominate in Weldon’s place.  

Stay tuned to COSSA’s continued coverage on the new Administration.