Former FDA commissioners think Biden should nominate an agency head

President Biden has still not nominated a commissioner for the Food and Drug Administration, and former FDA commissioners are not happy, The Washington Post reported. Pandemic aside, the FDA does important things like recall contaminated lettuce and regulate genetically engineered animals. But Covid-19 adds a layer of urgency to the nomination, the former commissioners argued. Though the agency has already approved three vaccines, FDA will be responsible for approving new treatments, drugs, and tests as new variants spread through the population. It may also need to update vaccines in the future. Despite the delay, Biden’s timing is so far in line with his predecessors: The Trump administration nominated its first FDA commissioner in March 2017; he was confirmed two months later. But there’s movement on other fronts: On Wednesday, the Senate confirmed Michael Regan to head the Environmental Protection Agency and Marcia Fudge, a one-time contender for the top spot at the Department of Agriculture, to lead Housing and Urban Development.