By all accounts, Marty Makary’s confirmation hearing to lead the FDA went smoothly. As an experienced surgeon at Johns Hopkins with impeccable credentials, he handled questions with ease.
But the real issue was not what the Senators asked Makary—it was what they didn’t ask him that was most concerning. They sidestepped the FDA’s recent, glaring failures, leaving critical issues unaddressed.
Much of the hearing consisted of Senators pressing Makary for commitments on data he had not yet reviewed, such as mifepristone, vaping, and food additives. They also questioned him about recent FDA job cuts—decisions in which he had no involvement. As a result, there were no substantive revelations.
Makary promised greater transparency at the FDA and vowed to restore public trust. But why did no one press him on the agency’s most egregious missteps?
Yep, they, the Senators, just do not want to go into the weeds, do they? They will not go into well publicized details of the FDA failures in many different areas when confirming a new head of the FDA. When will they ask for some accountability? My guess is that since the Senators represent their donors more than they represent states, we will never see any accountability other than what thee appointees enforce upon their new charges. Science be damned, politics full speed ahead!