Trump picks Fox contributor, surgeon and former congressman to lead health agencies

US President-elect Donald Trump on Friday nominated Dr. Marty Makary to lead the Food and Drug Administration, selecting a surgeon and author who attracted national attention for opposing vaccination mandates and some other public health measures during the pandemic. of COVID-19.

Makary, a professor at Johns Hopkins University, is the latest in a series of Trump nominees who have declared the U.S. healthcare system “broken” and vowed to overhaul it.

As part of a flurry of nominations Friday night, Trump also selected physician and former Republican Rep. Dave Weldon of Florida to head the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Meanwhile, Fox News contributor Janette Nesheiwat is poised to be the nation’s chief public health officer.

Some of Makary’s views align closely with the man who is about to be his boss: prominent environmental lawyer and anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whom Trump nominated to be the next secretary of the Department of Health and United States Human Services.

In books and articles, Makary has criticized overprescribing of medications, the use of pesticides in food, and the undue influence of pharmaceutical and insurance companies on doctors and government regulators, points that Kennedy has also stressed for years.

Trump said Makary, trained as a surgeon and oncologist, “will restore the FDA to the gold standard of scientific research, and reduce bureaucracy at the agency to ensure Americans get the medical cures and treatments they deserve,” referring to the Administration. of Food and Drugs.

Headquartered in the Maryland suburbs outside Washington, the FDA—with 18,000 employees—is responsible for the safety and effectiveness of prescription drugs, vaccines and medical devices, as well as a variety of other health care products. consumption, including food, cosmetics and vaping products.

In total, these products represent approximately 20% of consumer spending in the United States annually, equivalent to $2.6 trillion.

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