Heidi Overton studiously avoided sharing her personal views on vaccines, abortion medication and birth control Thursday, instead citing Food and Drug Administration policy on a gauntlet of questions from senators considering her to lead the agency.
The hearing was rife with potholes for Overton, President Donald Trump’s nominee for commissioner of the agency which regulates the nation’s drugs and is also central to hotly debated administration initiatives on abortion medication mifepristone, flavored vapes and vaccines.
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, pressed Overton to say what she’d do if her bosses — Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — ordered her to undermine vaccines.
“I think the role of FDA commissioner if confirmed and what I would do is communicate and use my scientific training and clinical background to describe what is currently known,” Overton responded.
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“And what is currently known is the vaccines approved by FDA have met the standards for safety and efficacy,” she added.
Overton, who stood near Trump in the Oval Office a few weeks ago as he said the measles, mumps, rubella vaccine could be “quite lethal,” did say “the MMR vaccine is safe and effective.”
Later in the hearing, when pressed by Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-New Hampshire), Overton wouldn’t say whether Trump was wrong to question the vaccine’s safety.
Cassidy, a doctor who has hounded Trump nominees on their beliefs about vaccines before ultimately voting for them, appeared unsatisfied by Overton’s responses. He pressed her to explain what role the president should play in determining vaccine safety.
Overton responded that policy priorities can be set by the president but said most individual product determinations are done by career staff with expertise, calling that “appropriate.”
Cassidy hasn’t said whether he plans to vote to confirm Overton.
Overton also wouldn’t say directly whether she believes mifepristone, a medication commonly used for abortions, is safe. FDA is reviewing the safety of the drug, which was approved with extra safety protocols decades ago by FDA.
“I know it has met the safety and efficacy standards according to FDA review,” Overton said in response to questions by Sen. Patty Murray (D-Washington).
Murray also asked Overton whether she believes IUDs are abortifacients, a position held by some abortion opponents.
“If I’m confirmed as FDA commissioner I’ll be fully briefed on all their prior decisions and make determinations according to the standards of safety and efficacy,” Overton responded.
“I don’t think you answered the question,” Murray responded.
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