Senators Worry Health Agency Vacancies Leave Nation Vulnerable

Senate lawmakers are uneasy that open leadership positions at the federal health department are leaving the country directionless and, at worst, more exposed to public health emergencies.

The Health and Human Services Department doesn’t have leaders for the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The administration still lacks a surgeon general, with President Donald Trump putting forth a third pick last month after his first two failed to move forward in the Senate. This comes at a time when the country is encountering measles outbreaks and concerns over hantavirus.

“It’s a prescription for bedlam,” said Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over certain health programs. “I mean, there are all of these huge healthcare challenges and there’s nobody home?”

It’s a sign of growing impatience with the Trump administration’s health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has faced criticism for embracing positions not backed by scientific research. If one or both chambers flip in this November’s midterm elections, he could face increased scrutiny from Congress.

“HHS continues to be led by highly experienced professionals and senior officials who ensure uninterrupted public health response across FDA, CDC, and the Department,” HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said in a statement.

Even some Republicans are raising eyebrows at the leadership under Kennedy.

“I look forward to working with the department to get qualified people placed,” said Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which will be charged with considering the nominees to all three positions. Cassidy faces a tough primary this weekend and Trump has said he wants him out in a social media post withdrawing his surgeon general choice, Casey Means.

Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), who is ranking member on the Senate Appropriations health subcommittee panel, said the “lack of stability and accountability” is coming as lawmakers are considering the president’s budget, which proposes to slash HHS funding by $15.8 billion. Former FDA Commissioner Marty Makary resigned just a day before he was to testify on the agency’s budget.

“In many ways, it seems that an agency that should be based on science is abandoning science and it’s very concerning,” Baldwin said.

Long-Term Priorities

Senate Republicans who spoke with Bloomberg Government said the agency was still in the hands of capable bureaucrats.

“While there may not be an appointed and confirmed leader, that does not mean there is a leadership vacuum,” Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) said in a statement. “There are experienced professionals who have spent their careers preparing to respond to any medical emergency our country may face, and these people have gone nowhere.”

Both FDA and CDC have been impacted by layoffs and departing workers, and if leadership positions remain unfilled, longer-term priorities could suffer.

“What’s going to happen two years from now, three years from now?” said Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.). “That matters.”

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said personnel is important and that “we need to move quickly.” But he said he didn’t expect immediate impacts to public health responses.

“Keep in mind, these are large organizations with very competent career staff, but leadership matters over time,” he said. “Matter of days or weeks, probably not going to make or break it if you’ve left it in a good organization, but beyond that it becomes problematic.”

Still, with the rising risks of public health emergencies, senators are looking for more proactive attention.

“We’ve lost much of our capacity for dealing with infectious diseases through the active negligence of this administration,” said Sen. Angus King (I-Maine). “It’s shocking.”