WASHINGTON, D.C. – Tonight, the Senate voted 80-6 to advance the nomination of Dr. Robert Califf to be the next commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) issued this statement following the vote:
"I approached Dr. Califf's nomination focused on the best interests of West Virginians. Given that West Virginia leads the country in drug-related overdose deaths and the critical role the FDA plays in addressing this crisis, we need a strong and certain leader like Dr. Califf heading this agency. After reviewing his impressive career and experience as a physician, and speaking with him about the crisis in West Virginia, I am confident that Dr. Califf will take an objective and impartial approach to curb the drug epidemic that is hurting families and communities across our state.
“Dr. Califf knows West Virginia. He has worked on projects to improve health outcomes with West Virginians in areas such as diabetes and heart disease. I also expect Dr. Califf to be an innovative leader in the area of pain management and look forward to working with him to strengthen our efforts to combat opioid abuse.”
More than 100 organizations, comprising of many major disease research organizations, have signaled their support for Dr. Califf's nomination. See the list here.
###