Obama nominates former New York City health chief Hamburg as FDA commissioner, Baltimore Health Commissioner Sharfstein as Deputy

Mar 16 2009

President Obama in his weekly radio and Internet address on Saturday said that he would nominate former New York City Health Commissioner Margaret Hamburg as FDA commissioner and Baltimore Health Commissioner Joshua Sharfstein as the agency's principal deputy commissioner, the New York Times reports (Harris, New York Times, 3/15).

Obama said that the Bush administration's inability to protect the nation against contaminated foods created a "hazard to public health" and pledged that his administration would address these shortcomings. He said, "There are certain things only a government can do," adding that "one of those things is ensuring that the foods we eat, and the medicines we take, are safe and do not cause harm" (Eggen, Washington Post, 3/15).

In addition to serving as New York City health commissioner, Hamburg also was assistant secretary of HHS during the Clinton administration. She now works at the think tank Nuclear Threat Initiative and is a board member for the medical-equipment wholesaler Henry Schein (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 3/11). "Dr. Hamburg brings to this vital position not only a reputation of integrity but a record of achievement in making Americans safer and more secure," Obama said (Richwine, Reuters/Boston Globe, 3/16). He added that Hamburg "brought new life to a demoralized agency" as commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (New York Times, 3/15). The nomination requires Senate confirmation (Reuters/Boston Globe, 3/16). Sharfstein, a pediatrician, also served as a health policy aide to House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and gained national attention for his efforts to challenge the safety of cough-and-cold medicine for children (AP/USA Today, 3/14). Obama cited his work on the cough-and-cold issue, as well as a program to ensure people with disabilities have access to medications (Reuters/Boston Globe, 3/16).

Comments

Waxman said that both Hamburg and Sharfstein possess "strong public health credentials and demonstrated management abilities," adding, "These appointments give me great hope for the future of the FDA" (Washington Post, 3/15). House Energy and Commerce Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chair Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) said he was pleased with Obama's selection of someone from outside FDA to run the agency. He said that FDA had been "plagued by low morale, antiquated systems, inadequate funding and management more interested in protecting the companies they regulate than the American people" (Reuters/Boston Globe, 3/16). The American Public Health Association said the nomination of Hamburg "signals a commitment to protecting consumer health." Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America said that it "applauds President Obama for his expeditious selection" (Washington Post, 3/15). Billy Tauzin, head of PhRMA, said Hamburg "brings managerial skills that are essential for directing science-based activities" (Reuters/Boston Globe, 3/16).

NPR's "Weekend Edition" on Saturday reported on the Hamburg nomination. The segment includes a discussion with NPR political analyst Juan Williams (Simon, "Weekend Edition," NPR, 3/14).