Finally, von Eschenbach Confirmed

The U.S. Senate on Thursday night finally confirmed Andrew von Eschenbach as FDA Commissioner after months of stalling, the Washington Post reports. Several senators from both parties had placed a hold on his nomination, and Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA), an outspoken critic of the agency and von Eschenbach, had begun a filibuster to oppose the nomination.

December 8, 2006

1 Min Read
MDDI logo in a gray background | MDDI

But outgoing Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) forced a procedural vote that cut off debate and brought the nomination to the floor, and von Eschenbach won confirmation, 80-11. Both sides of the aisle agree that FDA needs reform. For that to happen, a permanent commissioner without lame-duck status was essential. Now it's time to go to work.

Sign up for the QMED & MD+DI Daily newsletter.

You May Also Like