Confirmed: Bhattacharya to Lead NIH, Makary Wins Top FDA Post
The Senate on Tuesday confirmed Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to lead the NIH and Dr. Marty Makary to lead the FDA, concluding a smooth confirmation process for both. Both nominees distinguished themselves in the medical and public health arenas by their willingness to voice dissenting opinions.
MARCH 26, 2025
The U.S. Senate on Tuesday confirmed Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to lead the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Dr. Marty Makary to lead the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), concluding a smooth confirmation process for both.
Bhattacharya was confirmed in a 53-47, party-line vote. Makary received support from all Republicans and three Democrats in a 56-44 vote.
Both distinguished themselves in the medical and public health arenas by their willingness to voice dissenting opinions.
Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, Bhattacharya — a professor in economics and health research and policy at Stanford University — co-authored the “Great Barrington Declaration,” a document criticizing pandemic lockdowns for the physical and mental health harms they would cause — especially for children.
During his Senate confirmation hearing, Bhattacharya said:
“Over the last few years, top NIH officials oversaw a culture of cover-up, obfuscation and a lack of tolerance for ideas that differ from theirs … Dissent is the very essence of science. I’ll foster a culture where NIH leadership will actively encourage different perspectives.”
The NIH — the “nation’s medical research agency” — oversees 27 separate institutes and centers and controls a budget of nearly $48 billion.
U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) said in a March 25 statement that the NIH needs a “fresh start” and that Bhattacharya is the “right man for the job.”
In a March 25 X post, Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) called Bhattacharya’s confirmation a “huge win” for U.S. health. “When others were afraid to stand up against group think & COVID hysteria, Dr. Bhattacharya was a common sense leader,” Banks wrote.
Makary, a pancreatic cancer surgeon and health policy researcher at Johns Hopkins University and former editor-in-chief of MedPage Today, recently authored a book criticizing medical “groupthink,” which he defines as “the human tendency to follow a crowd and not thinking independently.”
During his confirmation hearing, Makary blasted censorship of scientific opinions and committed to helping restore public trust in the FDA and the products it regulates. He said:
“If we have the cure for pancreatic cancer, but only 40% of the public is going to come in and take it because the rest don’t trust us, then that medication is only 40% effective. … So I think we fight bad ideas with more ideas. I don’t … believe in censorship of scientific opinions. I think we need a civil discourse.”
The FDA has an annual budget of roughly $7 billion.
In addition to regulating vaccines, prescription and over-the-counter drugs, the FDA regulates products ranging from infant formula and medical devices to tobacco.
The agency also regulates about 80% of the U.S. food supply.
Kennedy’s team takes shape
Both Bhattacharya and Makary have expressed support for Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda and his efforts to address the chronic disease epidemic, particularly among U.S. children.
With their confirmations complete, Kennedy’s team is taking shape, Politico reported.
Meanwhile, the Senate Finance Committee voted 14-13 on Tuesday to advance Dr. Mehmet Oz, a cardiothoracic surgeon, author and television personality, to the full Senate confirmation vote to lead HHS’ Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
Oz’s name rose to household recognition when he was the host of “The Dr. Oz Show.” He was an outspoken critic of Dr. Anthony Fauci during the COVID-19 pandemic.
If confirmed, Oz would oversee CMS’ more than $1.5 billion budget.
Susan Monarez, Ph.D., President Donald Trump’s new pick to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also has yet to be confirmed by the Senate.
Monarez’s nomination came roughly two weeks after the White House abruptly withdrew its nomination of Dr. David Weldon to lead the agency.
Monarez’s nomination stirred up agitation among some critics who saw X posts that wrongly attributed Biden-era tweets promoting masks, lockdowns and vaccine mandates to her. However, Kennedy said in a March 25 X post that the posts were “erroneously” attributed to Monarez.
“I handpicked Susan for this job because she is a longtime champion of MAHA values, and a caring, compassionate and brilliant microbiologist and a tech wizard who will reorient CDC toward public health and gold-standard science,” he said.
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