Three people have emerged on the short list for the new commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration.
White House aide Heidi Overton, oncologist Jeffrey Vacirca and senior Pentagon health official Stephen Ferrara are all in the running, according to multiple media reports. None of the three have experience with food or food safety issues.
The FDA oversees 80 percent of the nation’s food, including food safety efforts such as outbreak investigations and recalls.
Some reports have Ferrara as the front runner. He was previously chief medical officer for the Navy and the Central Intelligence Agency.
Overton currently serves as deputy assistant to the president for domestic policy at the White House, where she focuses on health issues. She holds a doctorate in clinical investigation from Johns Hopkins University and was a White House fellow during Trump’s first term, giving her an unusually direct line to the administration.
The post of FDA Commissioner has been vacant since May 12 when Marty Makary resigned. He had been commissioner for 13 months. His resignation came amid disagreements with the Trump Administration, including policy about fruit flavored vapes targeted toward children. Makary was opposed to giving the go ahead for the vapes.
The FDA oversees products that account for roughly one-fifth of all consumer spending in the United States, making the commissioner role one of the most consequential regulatory appointments in Washington. The vast majority of the FDA’s budget and staff are involved with the drug side of the agency.
One significant political variable remains unresolved. It is unclear whether Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. supports Overton’s candidacy, a complication that could affect how smoothly the White House consolidates behind a nominee.
At the point that Trump nominates a commissioner, that person will have to gain support of the Senate.
