
Biden's FDA pick finds himself in tough confirmation battle
CNN
President Joe Biden's pick to lead the US Food and Drug Administration has found himself locked in an intense confirmation battle as he fights to secure enough votes to run the agency that's at the forefront of the pandemic.
Dr. Rob Califf, a longtime cardiologist, was last confirmed to run the sprawling agency during President Barack Obama's final year in office by an 89-4 vote. But it has been challenging for Califf to find anywhere near the same level of support from senators this time around and the White House is bracing for a narrow vote, according to several sources who spoke with CNN.
Biden announced in November that he was selecting Califf to return as the agency's head following a frustrating, months-long search to find a nominee who the White House thought could win Senate confirmation. Since then, Califf has met with 33 senators and has plans to meet with another 14 in the coming weeks, according to an administration official. The meetings have been almost equally split between Democrats and Republicans.