FDA Nominee Heidi Overton Declines to Endorse Universal Healthcare as Human Right in Senate Hearing Exchange with Bernie Sanders
Dr. Heidi Overton, President Trump's nominee to lead the Food and Drug Administration, appeared before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, where Sen. Bernie Sanders pressed her repeatedly to declare healthcare a "human right." Overton declined to give a direct yes-or-no answer, instead emphasizing the importance of access to care and the FDA's congressionally defined responsibilities.
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Dr. Heidi Overton, a physician who completed her residency at Johns Hopkins and previously worked at the America First Policy Institute, is seeking to lead the FDA, a position that became open after Dr. Marty Makary resigned earlier this year amid reported disagreements with the Trump administration over flavored vapes.
During the confirmation hearing, Sen. Sanders asked Overton directly: "Do you happen to believe that healthcare is a human right that should be available to every man, woman and child in our country?" Sanders argued that the United States is the only major country that does not guarantee healthcare, and contended that thousands of Americans die due to lack of access and affordability. He invoked the proximity of his home state of Vermont to Canada, noting that every Canadian can see a doctor.
Overton responded that she understands the importance of access to care and believes in getting patients the "best care possible," and said she looks forward to carrying out the policies and responsibilities "vested from Congress" to the FDA. Sanders indicated she was not answering his question and pressed her again before ultimately moving on, saying he was running out of time.