There is now an intriguing, new candidate in the sprightly competition for the worst Biden appointment.
In February, the Senate narrowly confirmed Dr. Robert Califf as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The vote was 50-to-46 (6 Republicans supported him, 5 five who caucus with Democrats opposed him, and one senator voted present).
In fact, Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) wanted the nomination withdrawn completely.
…Manchin called on Mr. Biden to withdraw the nomination in an opinion essay, noting that while Dr. Califf pledged to make changes the last time he was commissioner, the F.D.A. approved five new opioids in 2016 and 2017.“I have never been more profoundly confident of a vote I’m going to cast than I am right now,” Mr. Manchin said in a fiery floor speech on Monday, directly placing partial blame for the worsening epidemic on Dr. Califf. Opposition to his nomination, Mr. Manchin added, would “send a message to this administration, to our president, that we need a new direction at the F.D.A.”“We need people who want to protect us,” he concluded, “not people who allow drugs to destroy us.”
Biden might be wishing he heeded Manchin. Califf is now using his position to assert the senseless idea that “misinformation” is a leading cause of death in the nation.
Newly confirmed Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Robert Califf says “the issue that keeps him up at night… is the proliferation of false and misleading health information, particularly online — and the distrust in institutions, data, and expertise that it has wrought.”So reports Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico for the Association of Health Care Journalists, from an interview AHCJ patient-safety team leader Kerry Dooley Young conducted with Califf on Friday in Austin at Health Journalism 2022, AHCJ’s annual conference.“I believe that misinformation is now our leading cause of death,” Califf said, citing resistance to COVID-19 vaccination, the number of people taking the anti-parasite drug Ivermectin, and increasing use of electronic cigarettes.“Historically, the FDA has been relatively quiet and puts out definitive information through guidance or labels or regulatory actions … that would be transmitted to consumers and patients through trusted intermediaries,” he said. “But the world has changed at this point.”
However, during an interview with CNN’s Pamela Brown, FDA chief Dr. Robert Califf noted he could not “quantify” the impact of misinformation on death rates.
I have to acknowledge there is no way to quantify this. So, I can’t say the numbers come out just like they would for heart disease or cancer.
Then he “sciences” his assertions to support the Disinformation Board and its goals that the current administration has touted.
Of course, Califf neglects to mention any of the following:
Senator Tom Cotton reminded Califf that food, and not misinformation about disinformation, is actually on the FDA agenda.
Senator Tom Cotton today wrote to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Robert Califf demanding answers about the dangerous shortage of infant formula and asking how the FDA is planning to combat the issue.In part, Cotton wrote, “Millions of babies rely on formula for their nutritional needs. Major retailers are limiting the amount of infant formula customers can purchase per visit, and families are being forced to pay higher prices and fees to obtain adequate food for their child. This places an additional burden on hardworking Americans already spending more on necessities due to inflation.”
Of course, now it’s time to worry about the baby formula crisis. Never doubt the ability of a Biden appointee to muck things up.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL VERSION OF THIS STORY