Some early critics of Scott Gottlieb, the commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration, are coming around, the New York Times reports.
Gottlieb — a former deputy commissioner at the agency during the George W. Bush Administration, fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and medical doctor — was confirmed by the Senate last May in a 57 to 42 vote. Gottlieb also has extensive ties to healthcare and pharmaceutical firms, which gave some critics pause.
But the Times says Gottlieb has been able to both assuage some critics and satisfy industry supporters as well as President Donald Trump. "He has done so by making moves to protect public health while also offering rewards to industry — double plays that have some willing to give him a second look," the Times says.
For instance, it notes that Gottlieb said that the tobacco industry had to take steps to make cigarettes less addictive by lowering their nicotine content, but at the same time he delayed stricter rules on e-cigarettes, cigars, and other products.
While Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.) tells the Times she still has concerns about Gottlieb — she says he isn't doing enough on nutrition — Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) says he is taking on tough issues. "I let him know when I think he's got it wrong, and when he's got it right," Warren says.