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# Independent FDA Needed to Stop Political Meddling: GAO
- URL: https://www.fdaweb.com/independent-fda-needed-to-stop-political-meddling-gao/
- Published: 2022-12-15T12:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-14T18:09:51.000Z
- Author: David McFarland
- Tags: FDA Policy/General, #legacy-id-D5153413

A new Government Accountability Office [report](https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-23-105415.pdf?ref=fdaweb.com) offers recommendations to shield FDA and other HHS agencies from potential political interference, such as converting FDA into an independent agency like the Federal Reserve. GAO said it conducted the review of political interference during the Covid-19 emergency based on allegations it had received.

Last year, the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis said it had uncovered evidence of Trump administration political meddling in coronavirus guidance, testing, and treatments. In a [statement](https://coronavirus.house.gov/news/press-releases/select-subcommittee-releases-new-evidence-trump-administration-s-political?ref=fdaweb.com) (contains links to documents and letters), subcommittee chairman **James Clyburn** (D-SC) said the Trump administration:

- pressed FDA commissioner **Stephen Hahn** to approve hydroxychloroquine and convalescent plasma over the objections of scientists;
- weakened CDC guidance to hide positive tests while promoting reopening; and
- manipulated public health information.

GAO’s report did not examine details of any interference, rather it interviewed experts and former agency heads to identify structural reforms that may insulate FDA and other health agencies against political interference in future public health emergencies. In addition to converting FDA into an independent agency, the report recommended making the CDC director a Senate-confirmed position, and reducing the number of political appointees at such agencies.

The report noted that FDA and other HHS agencies “do not have many of the structural characteristics that can help insulate them from political interference compared to independent agencies, such as the Federal Reserve, because they are located in an executive department. For example, the selected agencies have few, if any, characteristics that can limit the President’s influence over agency leaders and policy, such as limits on the retention of agency leaders.” It also said many of the HHS agencies each have between two and five political appointees serving in key senior leadership and policy positions, “which can increase presidential control over agencies.” Political appointees at FDA and the other agencies it looked at “increased at least twofold from 2016 through 2020,” it added.

GAO said two former FDA commissioners recommended that the agency should be separated from HHS because of its regulatory role. They said “greater FDA independence could help further the agency’s ability to ensure predictable, science- based decision-making; promote the agency’s capacity to act swiftly in an emergency; and enhance transparency and sustain public confidence.” However, another former FDA commissioner said that a potential downside to moving the agency out of HHS would be that it would no longer be located in the same department with other public health agencies, such as NIH and CDC, with which it needs to coordinate closely. “Additionally, HHS officials told us that separating FDA from HHS would disrupt many longstanding collaborations and agreements that support a wide range of coordinated federal efforts, and the department strongly disagrees with the suggestion,” GAO said.

A former FDA commissioner also recommended that future commissioners should be appointed to six-year terms, so the position is not tied to the election cycle. Another former FDA commissioner said he sought to reduce the number of political appointees by filling critical positions, such as the agency’s general counsel, with career scientists and practitioners.

In response to the report, HHS said it is working to implement a 2021 presidential memorandum entitled “Restoring Trust in Government through Scientific Integrity and Evidence-based Policymaking.” It also noted that FDA and other health agencies are actively engaged in updating relevant agency-specific policies and procedures and that it believes that the “ongoing efforts to enhance scientific integrity will better protect against political interference in scientific activities, and have fewer negative unintended consequences, than several of the structural changes suggested by GAO.”