Jeffords to head FDA reform issues in Senate; Sen. Coats says "Bayh" to Senate.
This article was originally published in The Rose Sheet
Executive Summary
SEN. JEFFORDS WILL CHAIR FDA REFORM EFFORT IN SENATE through his position at the top of the full Labor & Human Resources Committee. The Vermont Republican reasserted the primacy of the full committee over FDA reform and broader health issues relating to costs and access in a Dec. 12 announcement.
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SEN. JEFFORDS WILL CHAIR FDA REFORM EFFORT IN SENATE through his position at the top of the full Labor & Human Resources Committee. The Vermont Republican reasserted the primacy of the full committee over FDA reform and broader health issues relating to costs and access in a Dec. 12 announcement. Jeffords is a relative newcomer to FDA issues and does not have a permanent staffer with expertise devoted to the regulatory agency. The specialist on former Chairman Nancy Kassebaum's (R-Kan.) staff was Jane Williams, who recently left the committee to serve on the staff of Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.). Prior to Jefford's decision, speculation had been circulating with regard to the re-establishment of a Health Subcommittee with jurisdiction over FDA issues under the full Labor Committee. Sen. Dan Coats (R-Ind.), a committee Republican with a known interest in FDA, was expected to be considered for the head of that subcommittee. Instead, Labor & Human Resources will form a public health subcommittee to be chaired by Sen. Bill Frist (R-Tenn.). Frist's subcommittee will have jurisdiction over authorization of the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, medical education programs and "other public health initiatives. Coats announced Dec. 16 that he will not seek re-election in 1998, which may account for the announcement that Frist will head the new subcommittee. Coats would have faced a difficult race for his Senate seat against former Indiana Gov. Evan Bayh (D), who is a popular figure in the state. In addition to FDA reform, Jeffords' committee will be the venue for confirmation hearings of the new FDA commissioner. As names continue to be floated for the job, the speculation is that the Administration would like to nominate a woman. HHS Deputy Assistant Secretary for Women's Health Susan Blumenthal, MD, and two names from within the Administration that have been suggested as possible candidates are Consumer Product Safety Commission Chair Ann Brown. |