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HHS Nominee Vote Delayed By Senate Dem Boycott

 
• By Sue Darcey

Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden led other panel Democrats in boycotting a planned Jan. 31 vote on the confirmation of Rep. Tom Price as HHS Secretary. Wyden said the nominee "misled the public" and held back information on discounted shares of an Australian biomedical firm he bought. Committee Chair Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, was surprised by the setback to President Trump's nominee, and swore to bring Senate Democrats back to the committee to "do their job.”

Senate Finance Committee Democrats successfully blocked and temporarily delayed the committee’s Jan. 31 confirmation vote on Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., as President Trump’s choice for HHS Secretary by refusing to participate in the planned vote. The committee’s confirmation of a second nominee to Trump’s cabinet, Treasury Secretary nominee Steven Mnuchin, was also blocked by the minority party’s boycott.

Under the Finance Committee rules, a quorum – a simple majority that includes one member of the minority party –...

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More from Legislation

Final Curtain For LDTs? FDA Will Not Appeal District Court Decision To Vacate Final Rule

 
• By Brian Bossetta

The US FDA has given up on its effort to regulate lab-developed tests as medical devices, at least for now. The agency will not appeal a decision from the Eastern District of Texas that tossed out the FDA’s final rule, leaving the agency with few cards.

Industry Execs Talk Tariff Turbulence During MD&M East

 
• By Brian Bossetta

During MD&M East in Manhattan last week, a panel of experts discussed how the Trump administration’s trade policy is affecting manufacturing and offered some ideas on what manufacturers can do to help mitigate the chaos.

Debate On FDA User Fee Reauthorization Begins To Take Shape

 
• By Elizabeth Orr

A battle may be forming over the 2027 FDA user fee reauthorizations. At a conference Friday, Democratic Rep. Jake Auchincloss supports them for their effectiveness, while Deputy FDA Commissioner Grace Graham echoed criticisms from HHS Sec. Kennedy, among others, in calling for reform to ensure public trust.

Health Secretary Defends Spending Cuts During Senate Hearing On HHS Budget

 
• By Elizabeth Orr

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. emphasized administrative cost reductions and defended budget decisions during a Senate hearing on HHS funding. Some senators, however, expressed concerns over the impacts spending cuts had on essential health programs.

More from Policy & Regulation

MHRA’s Tallon Hails PMS Regulation As Start Of UK Device Framework Transformation

 
• By Ashley Yeo

16 June marked the first major new regulatory instrument in the UK’s post-Brexit transition to a standalone device regulatory system for Great Britain.

Increasing Safety Concerns Spur Scrutiny of Device Plastics Use

 
• By Elizabeth Orr

With new regulations limiting the use of plastics popping up worldwide, the medtech industry sees arguments on both sides. Some argue hasty bans of PFAS ("forever chemicals") would harm patients, while others say phthalates should be phased out to protect the public.

With LDT Rule DOA, Could FDA Shift Focus To RUOs?

 
• By Brian Bossetta

Now that the US FDA has chosen not to appeal a March ruling effectively killing the agency’s efforts to regulate lab-developed tests as medical devices, will the agency adopt a different strategy to flex its regulatory muscle?