WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, delivered remarks during today’s confirmation hearing on the nomination of Dr. Martin Makary to be Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Click here to watch the hearing live.
Cassidy’s speech as prepared for delivery can be found below:
Thank you, Dr. Makary for appearing before the Committee.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is tasked with overseeing everything from drugs that treat debilitating diseases to the safeguards in the U.S. food supply.
While FDA has become a gold-standard around the world in safeguarding public health, the agency faces significant challenges.
FDA’s bureaucracy has led to delays in approving new medicines and devices, restricting patients’ access to innovative treatments that can be lifesaving.
As the Trump administration looks to cut red tape across federal government, the agency should look at innovative ways to address bottlenecks in the review process. This could include using artificial intelligence and other technologies to improve efficiency and accelerate drug discovery; while ensuring these products are safe for Americans.
Another topic of interest is food safety. Americans deserve to know that the food they buy for their families is safe to eat. One place to start should be examining FDA’s review process to ensure the safety of ingredients that go into foods. I know Dr. Makary is passionate about this issue; I look forward to working with him, if he is confirmed.
The American people’s trust in our public health and science agencies and the products they regulate must be restored. Rebuilding public confidence in medical products, like vaccines, is especially important as we respond to measles outbreaks and as FDA considers recommendations for vaccines for flu strains ahead of the upcoming flu season.
Dr. Makary, with his experience as a surgeon and an effective health policy communicator, can help our public health agencies rebuild trust with the American people.
Thank you for appearing before the Committee, and discussing your vision on how to make America healthy again.
With that, I recognize Senator Sanders for his opening statement.
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