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The U.S. Senate confirmed on Tuesday President Joe Biden's pick to head the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in a tight 50-46 vote.
The narrow vote marked a stark contrast to the first time Dr. Robert Califf, a cardiologist and medical researcher, was confirmed to lead the agency. That was eight years ago, near the end of the Obama administration, the Associated Press reported. He was overwhelmingly confirmed then in an 89-4 Senate vote and served briefly in the commissioner's post.
Califf will take the helm at the FDA after the agency went without a permanent leader for more than a year, with Janet Woodcock serving as the acting head. His narrow confirmation also highlights how different the U.S. is now amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and in the years since the Obama administration ended.
In Tuesday's vote, six Republicans voted for Califf and five Democrats voted against him, CNN reported.
One of Califf's Democratic critics was Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who alleged that he bears "a great deal of responsibility" for many of the deaths caused by drug overdoses since the last time he lead the FDA, the AP reported.
Califf did include new warning labels on opioids and sought recommendations on how to improve regulation for the drugs, but former President Donald Trump ousted him before he could make any major strides.
"Nothing that Dr. Califf has said or done has led me to believe he will operate the FDA any differently than he did during his previous tenure," Manchin said.
Republican Senator Richard Burr, who represents North Carolina, has defended Califf's track record from his first FDA stint, saying that he had not seen anyone who served for such a short time who "accomplished anything, much less the many negatives that have been raised."
"He has the robust agency and private sector experience needed to help build on the success of the FDA in helping Americans get back to normal life with the approval of tests, vaccines and therapeutics that are bringing the pandemic to an end," Burr said. "He's the leader we need today, but also for the future."
Manchin, along with some other Democrats, has criticized Califf's "significant ties to the pharmaceutical industry." Last week, he wrote in a column in USA Today that Califf's nomination and industry ties "take us backwards not forward."
Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut told CNN that he thinks "there is a need for a clean break, a new era and greater independence."
Califf will now lead the FDA as the U.S. contends with drastic divisions surrounding health care issues, such as COVID-19 vaccines. The FDA, for example, still must decide whether to expand vaccine authorization to children who are under 5 years old, the AP reported.
He will also have to follow through on several promises he made in order to secure the confirmation votes of Senate members, such as beginning a review of opioids like OxyContin that drove or added to the drug epidemic, according to the AP.
In a message to FDA staff posted to Twitter, Woodcock said that she was "honored" to have served the agency and that she knows Califf "will do everything in his power to strengthen our agency, our reputation and our ability to adapt to the challenges of the world."
Update 02/15/22, 5:30 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information and background.
About the writer
Zoe Strozewski is a Newsweek reporter based in New Jersey. Her focus is reporting on U.S. and global politics. Zoe ... Read more