Robert Califf confirmed as next FDA commissioner by narrow margin
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The Senate on Tuesday confirmed Robert Califf as FDA commissioner in a 50-46 vote.
The FDA has been without a permanent commissioner since President Biden took office on Jan, 20, 2021. Janet Woodcock has been serving on an interim basis.

Califf is no stranger to the FDA. He served as commissioner for about a year during President Obama's second term and also held other senior leadership positions at the agency.
Five Democrats voted against Califf, while six Republicans supported him.
Some senators expressed concerns over how Califf will handle the opioid epidemic and rules over abortion drugs, The New York Times reported.
Other lawmakers have expressed concerns over Califf's connections to pharmaceutical companies. He has received consulting fees from companies including Merck (MRK
+1.6%), Amgen (AMGN
-0.9%), Biogen (BIIB
+0.7%), Roche (OTCQX:RHHBY
+1.8%) unit Genentech, and Eli Lilly (LLY
+4.0%).