Bernie Sanders Blocks Obama’s FDA Nominee Over Big Pharma Ties
Click to viewToday, Bernie Sanders made it clear to the Obama administration that Dr. Michael Califf would not be in charge of the FDA if he had anything to say about it.
Joined by Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA), Sanders announced he's placing a hold on Califf’s appointment to head the Food and Drug Administration, citing his close ties to the pharmaceutical industry and noting that Dr. Califf has deeper ties to Big Pharma than any recent nominee to run the FDA. Califf ran a multi-million dollar clinal research facility at Duke University that received 60% of its funding from the pharmaceutical and medical device industry, and his salary came from seven drug companies and a medical device company that paid him for consulting. Sanders' statement reads:
I share Sen. Markey’s concerns that the FDA must change the way it approaches addiction. Too many Americans are dying from what has become an opioid epidemic. I also strongly believe that at a time when millions of Americans cannot afford to purchase the prescription drugs they require, we need a leader at the FDA who is prepared to stand up to the drug companies. We need someone who will work to substantially lower drug prices, implement rules to safely import brand-name drugs from Canada and hold companies accountable who defraud our government.
Dr. Califf’s extensive ties to the pharmaceutical industry give me no reason to believe that he would make the FDA work for ordinary Americans, rather than just the CEOs of pharmaceutical companies.
Sanders’ decision to block Dr. Califf’s appointment to the FDA hardly comes as a surprise for those who saw the Vermont senator’s epic takedown of Dr. Califf during his confirmation hearings last November, as seen from the video provided above. During Sen. Sanders’ heated exchange with him, Sanders forced Dr. Califf’s hand, pointing out that he supports the importing of fish products and vegetables from around the world, but not the importing of prescription drugs in Canada. Dr. Califf also refused to take an official position on whether or not he supports allowing Medicare to negotiate the prices of prescription drugs on behalf of seniors.
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Bernie @ the Obama administration & Dr. Michael Califf:
