During a tense confirmation hearing held on Thursday, Dr. Marty Makary, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), outlined his ambitious plans for the agency if confirmed as FDA commissioner. Notable topics of discussion included the evaluation of school lunches, the controversial abortion pill mifepristone, and the functioning of FDA advisory committees. As a respected surgeon and researcher at Johns Hopkins University, Makary has long advocated for a significant cultural shift within the FDA.
The Senate is scheduled to hold confirmation votes for Makary, along with Dr. Jay Bhattacharya for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), on March 13. Additionally, Dr. David Weldon, Trump's nominee for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), will undergo his confirmation hearing on the same day. If confirmed, Makary would report to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, who has emphasized the need for regulating chemicals in food and improving the nutritional quality of school lunches.
One of Makary’s primary focus areas is the nutritional quality of school lunches. He expressed the need to thoroughly examine the ingredients used in these meals, including the presence of seed oils and artificial dyes. “We have to look at the totality of every single thing in school lunch programs, in the diet of our nation’s children,” he stated during the hearing. He proposed the initiation of a pilot program aimed at transitioning school districts to healthier food options, highlighting that many districts lack the necessary guidance and funding to make such changes.
Makary pointed out that a significant number of the nation’s children suffer from health issues linked to poor dietary choices. He stressed that food containing artificial ingredients contributes to widespread health problems, stating, “When we eat foods with a lot of molecules that do not appear in nature, these are chemicals.” He assured senators of his commitment to scrutinize these ingredients thoroughly if he becomes the FDA commissioner.
Another crucial point raised during the hearing was the future of mifepristone, an abortion pill that has become a focal point of legal and political debates since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022. Makary proposed forming an “expert coalition” to meticulously review data pertaining to mifepristone. He emphasized that he would take a thorough, unbiased look at the data, stating, “I have no preconceived plans on mifepristone policy except to take a solid, hard look at the data.” His commitment to following legal guidelines in reviewing the data was underscored throughout the hearing.
Tensions escalated during the hearing when senators inquired about a recent cancellation of a meeting for the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC). Makary assured the committee that, if confirmed, he would prioritize reinstating these meetings, particularly those discussing flu vaccine compositions. He also indicated the need for a comprehensive review of the FDA’s advisory committee members to ensure transparency and address any potential conflicts of interest.
“We need to review the ethics policy, because people see things that appear to be a cozy relationship between industry and the regulators,” Makary stated. While some current VRBPAC members noted the existing rules against conflicts of interest, Makary's call for a review reflects his commitment to maintaining the integrity of the scientific review process at the FDA.
As the confirmation date approaches, the future of the FDA under Dr. Marty Makary’s leadership remains a topic of significant interest. His focus on school nutrition, the review of mifepristone, and the commitment to ethical transparency within advisory committees could lead to transformative changes in how the FDA operates. The outcome of the upcoming Senate votes will play a crucial role in shaping the direction of public health and safety in the United States.
