Senate Committee Hears FDA Nominee Overton Amidst Vaccine and Abortion Drug Concerns
Dr. Heidi Overton faces scrutiny over past statements on childhood vaccines and abortion medication during her confirmation hearing for FDA commissioner.
Dr. Heidi Overton appeared before a Senate committee Thursday for her confirmation hearing as the nominee for the next commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Nominated in August by President Donald Trump, Overton's hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee is expected to include questions regarding childhood vaccines and the abortion drug mifepristone.
If confirmed, Overton would be the second person to lead the FDA during Trump's second term. The previous commissioner, Marty Makary, resigned following public disagreements with lawmakers, pharmaceutical companies, and the president over fruit-flavored vapes. Kyle Diamantas has been serving as acting FDA commissioner since May 2026.
Scott Gottlieb, who served as FDA commissioner during Trump's first term, expressed confidence this week in Overton's ability to "rebuild the agency" following staffing reductions. Overton has served as Trump's deputy assistant for domestic policy, advising on health policies including prescription drug cost reduction. She has publicly supported reducing the childhood immunization schedule and advocated for parental authority in vaccination decisions.
Sources familiar with the nomination stated that Overton's loyalty to the president was a factor in her selection. A former senior administration official described her as a "loyal staffer" who "goes along with things." Overton holds a doctor of medicine degree from the University of New Mexico and a doctorate from Johns Hopkins University.
Prior to her White House role, Overton was vice chair of the America First Policy Institute's (AFPI) Center for a Healthy America and its chief policy officer. Several former Trump administration officials also held positions at AFPI.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., chair of the Senate HELP Committee, has voiced "strong concerns" about Overton's nomination, citing her involvement in the executive order that modified the childhood vaccine schedule. Cassidy, a physician, has been a proponent of vaccine efficacy and has questioned Trump's health officials on their willingness to challenge the administration's health directives.
Overton is also expected to face questions concerning the abortion drug mifepristone, which underwent an FDA safety review last year. Teresa Leger Fernández, chairwoman of the Democratic Women's Caucus, criticized the nomination, calling Overton "not qualified" and asserting that her beliefs and loyalty would endanger women's lives. Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security, also questioned Overton's "scientific judgement" due to her role in the vaccine executive order, noting her praise from those critical of established vaccine schedules.