Heidi Overton, the Trump administration’s pick to lead the Food and Drug Administration, appeared before a Senate committee today in a highly anticipated hearing that promises to shed some light on the nominee’s views.
If confirmed, Overton, at 37, would be the youngest FDA commissioner ever. A preventive medicine physician who worked in both Trump administrations, she would take the helm of an agency that’s weathered a turbulent 18 months of politicized decisions and staff departures, and is still trying to claw back its brain trust after the 2025 reductions-in-force cut its numbers by nearly 20%.
Overton has drawn scrutiny from lawmakers and industry leaders for her relative lack of managerial experience, and also for her adherence to policies pushed by health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Her role shaping the administration’s efforts to upend the childhood vaccine schedule has drawn criticism from Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
