Cassidy Cited “Strong Concerns,” a “Lack of Managerial Experience,” and a “Nonsensical Vaccine Executive Order” as Overton’s FDA Nomination Heads to the Senate
WASHINGTON — The White House officially sent Dr. Heidi Overton’s nomination to serve as Commissioner of Food and Drugs to the U.S. Senate this week, putting her FDA nomination before a Senate whose Republican health chairman has already raised unusually sharp concerns about her record.
Hours after President Donald Trump announced the pick in August, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), a physician who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said he had “strong concerns” about Overton’s FDA nomination, citing her “lack of managerial experience” and active role in what he called a “nonsensical vaccine executive order.”
“Dr. Overton’s active role in last week’s nonsensical vaccine executive order calls into question her commitment to standing up for sound science and protecting children’s health,” Cassidy wrote. “That alone is almost disqualifying.”
Statement from Wisconsinites for Healthy Families:
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“FDA decisions affect the medicines, vaccines, and food Wisconsin families count on every day. Serious questions have been raised about Heidi Overton’s role in the childhood vaccine order, her commitment to sound science, and her management experience. Those concerns will now be part of the record Wisconsin’s senators confront as Overton’s nomination moves through the Senate.”
The Record
Overton’s “Lack of Managerial Experience” Does Not Prepare Her to Lead FDA: Overton served as chief policy officer at the America First Policy Institute before becoming deputy assistant to the president for domestic policy. Cassidy said her “lack of managerial experience” does not prepare her well for leading a large organization already dealing with “staffing and morale issues.” She would inherit an agency with more than 18,000 employees that lost more than 3,000 staffers last year.
Overton Backed a Vaccine Executive Order Cassidy Called “Almost Disqualifying”: Overton stood with Trump when he signed the August 10 executive order changing childhood vaccine recommendations and called it “a historic action.” She urged states to adopt the administration’s “gold standard” recommendations. Cassidy called the order a “nonsensical vaccine executive order” and said Overton’s role was “almost disqualifying.”
Overton Called Abortion “Corrosive to Children, Women, and Society” and Said Federal Abortion-Rights Legislation Would Allow Practices “Indistinguishable From Infanticide”: Overton called abortion “corrosive to children, women, and society” and argued that the Women’s Health Protection Act would allow “practices that are indistinguishable from infanticide.” In 2023, she also co-authored a policy brief opposing expanded medication abortion access through telehealth and warning about the “dangers of teleabortion.” If confirmed, Overton would lead the agency responsible for regulating mifepristone.
Overton Called for “Conservative-Based” Science and New Research Systems: In a 2023 interview, Overton called for new academic journals dedicated to “conservative-based” science and described a long-term push for “alternate systems” of research funding and publication. She said NIH, FDA and CDC were not prioritizing those kinds of decisions.
MAHA Allies Have Publicly Turned on Overton: Some prominent MAHA activists have attacked Overton as an obstacle to their agenda. Kelly Ryerson called her FDA nomination a “steep fall into depths of the swamp” and accused her of carrying industry arguments inside the White House.
