FDA Policy/General

Republicans Dismiss RFK Jr. Subpoena Vote for Testimony

House Republicans on the Energy and Commerce Committee on Wednesday blocked an effort by Democrats to compel HHS secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to testify before Congress, as partisan tensions escalated over vaccine policy and the federal response to disease outbreaks.

The failed subpoena vote came during a hearing of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee focused on biosecurity, pandemic threats, and artificial intelligence. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ), the panel’s top Democrat, offered a motion to subpoena Kennedy, citing what Democrats describe as a growing public health risk tied to the secretary’s HHS leadership. Republicans tabled the motion on a party-line vote of 10–8, preventing the subpoena from moving forward.

In a statement following the vote, Pallone accused Republicans of conducting an oversight hearing on future threats while ignoring what he called an immediate health crisis. He argued that Kennedy’s approach to vaccines and biomedical research has contributed to outbreaks of preventable diseases and said congressional oversight was necessary to hold the secretary accountable.

“Americans will needlessly die due to his efforts to take away vaccines and undermine lifesaving medical research,” Pallone said, adding that Republicans were failing to protect public health by blocking the subpoena.

Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee did not immediately respond to the criticism. The vote underscores the deep partisan divide over Kennedy’s tenure at HHS, which has drawn sharp criticism from Democrats and public health advocates over vaccine policy, even as Republicans have largely resisted efforts to expand oversight of his leadership.

Gupta Raises Concerns About Overton’s Independence, Ideology

FDA commissioner nominee Heidi Overton’s responses on vaccines, contraception and abortion medication during her 9/24 Senate confirmation hearing raise concerns that ideology could influence her decision-making if she takes over the agency, MSNBC senior medical analyst Dr. Vin Gupta said Friday. Gupta was particularly critical of Overton’

Overton Confirmation Remains Uncertain After Senate Hearing

FDA commissioner nominee Heidi Overton emerged from her Senate confirmation hearing Thursday (see earlier story) without resolving questions about whether she has enough Republican support to advance — and with a rapidly narrowing window for confirmation before the midterm elections. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing provided few

FDA Classifies Boston Scientific Imager II Catheter Recall as Class I

FDA has classified Boston Scientific's recall of its Imager II Angiographic Catheters as Class I because a manufacturing problem could cause catheter tips to degrade and detach, potentially resulting in life-threatening complications. The agency announced the Class I classification 9/25, updating an Early Alert it issued

FDA Approves Gazyva for Childhood-Onset Idiopathic Nephrotic Syndrome

FDA has approved Roche’s Gazyva (obinutuzumab) for reducing the risk of relapse in adults and children aged 2 and older with frequently relapsing or steroid-dependent, childhood-onset idiopathic nephrotic syndrome who are in remission. The expanded approval covers the use of the CD20-directed antibody beyond its existing

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Gupta Raises Concerns About Overton’s Independence, Ideology

Overton Confirmation Remains Uncertain After Senate Hearing

FDA Classifies Boston Scientific Imager II Catheter Recall as Class I

FDA Approves Gazyva for Childhood-Onset Idiopathic Nephrotic Syndrome