Bernie Sanders and Joe Manchin Agree: No To Controversial Biden Nominee

WFB: Sens. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) and Joe Manchin (D., W.Va.) joined Republicans on Tuesday to oppose President Joe Biden’s pick to head the Food and Drug Administration. But the Senate approved the nominee after six Republicans crossed the aisle to confirm him.

The upper chamber voted 50 to 46 to approve Dr. Robert Califf, who will serve as FDA commissioner for a second time after holding the position during the Obama administration from 2016 to 2017. Three Democrats—Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D., Conn.), Maggie Hassan (D., N.H.), and Ed Markey (D., Mass.)—joined Sanders and Manchin to vote against his confirmation. The group of Democrats criticized the Biden pick for his ties to the pharmaceutical industry and failure to effectively regulate opioids during his first stint at the FDA. Republicans, meanwhile, focused on Califf’s efforts to deregulate chemical abortion pills, which have four times the complication rate of surgical abortions.

Republican senators Roy Blunt (Mo.), Richard Burr (N.C.), Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Mitt Romney (Utah), and Pat Toomey (Pa.) broke with their party and voted to confirm Califf. MORE