FDA nominee Heidi Overton questioned on abortion medication, birth control and vaccines

Dr. Heidi Overton, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Food and Drug Administration, faced questions about abortion medication, birth control, vaccines and other health issues during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee confirmation hearing Wednesday.

Overton declined to directly state whether she considers intrauterine devices to be abortifacients after Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington asked whether she agreed that an IUD can cause an abortion. Overton said that, if confirmed, she would review the FDA’s previous decisions and make determinations using safety and efficacy standards.

Murray also pressed Overton about a 2023 paper in which she described mifepristone as “dangerous to women.” Asked whether she believes the abortion drug is safe, Overton said it had met the FDA’s safety and efficacy standard. She said the earlier paper followed an FDA change allowing the medication to be prescribed through telemedicine and that her work has been driven by data.

Overton said vaccines are safe as senators questioned her amid the Trump administration’s efforts to overhaul recommendations for childhood immunizations. She also fielded questions about flavored vaping products and foodborne illness. In another exchange, Sen. Bernie Sanders pressed her on universal health care.

Overton, a University of New Mexico-trained physician currently serving as a White House domestic policy adviser, requires Senate confirmation to become FDA commissioner.