Senators to Question FDA Nominee About Her Views on Abortion Pill and Vaccines
She offered guarded support for vaccines and declined to say whether she would oppose presidential orders that conflict with public health.
- On Thursday, President Donald Trump's FDA nominee Dr. Heidi Overton testified before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, stating that all U.S. vaccines currently available are safe and effective.
- Mounting scrutiny followed President Trump's recent executive order to restructure childhood vaccinations, which proposed separating the combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccine into three distinct injections.
- Breaking with the president's earlier characterization, Overton declared the MMR vaccine is "not lethal" and remains "our best tool right now in the public health response" to measles outbreaks.
- Lawmakers pressed Overton on mifepristone, an abortion pill she once labeled "dangerous to women," though she declined to pre-judge the ongoing FDA safety review during Thursday's testimony.
- Overton faces a challenging confirmation path as the FDA struggles with staffing crises, having lost more than 4,500 workers since 2024, while senators demand assurance she will prioritize scientific evidence.
150 Articles
150 Articles
Political Pulse: Overton grilled on Capitol Hill & debate over debates in governor’s race
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – A New Mexico doctor nominated by President Trump to lead the FDA faced questions on Capitol Hill during her confirmation hearing this week. Senators grilled Heidi Overton on issues including abortion pills and vaccines. Plus, in the race for New Mexico governor, candidates Deb Haaland (D) and Gregg Hull (R) are blaming [...]
Ars Technica
MASSIVE.NEWSCan Trump ever be wrong? His pick to lead FDA refused to say.
Heidi Overton faced questions focused on vaccines, birth control, and vapes.
Heidi Overton Is As Shifty as a Window
If you can say for a fact that mifepristone is safe, that an IUD is not a form of abortion, and that the EPA’s obsession with testing wastewater for abortion medication is rooted in a bunch of hogwash, then… congratulations! You’re already eons more qualified than Heidi Overton to lead the FDA. Overton, Trump’s pick to replace Marty Makary as FDA commissioner, appeared before the Senate HELP (Health, Education, Labor and Pensions) Committee at a…
The FDA’s Overton Window Problem
You’re reading The TNR Blue Book. Get daily scoops, strategy, and developments inside the liberal ideas factory delivered right to your inbox. Sign up for free.Inside Washington The FDA’s Overton window problemOn Thursday, Republican Senator Susan Collins, a self-described abortion rights supporter, asked not a single question about abortion during the hearing for Food and Drug Administration commissioner nominee Heidi Overton. That, along with …
Santa New Mexican
Searchlight New MexicoU.S. senators grill UNM-trained doctor tapped to lead FDA
Heidi Overton provided few clear answers on whether she'll resist political interference from President Donald Trump.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 47% of the sources lean Left
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
