WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), a member of the Senate Finance Health Care Subcommittee, issued the following statement on the confirmation of Scott Gottlieb to be the next Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA is headquartered in Montgomery County, Maryland. 

“Scott Gottlieb’s deep ties to the drug industry are among the primary reasons that I could not support his nomination. While he has a strong working knowledge of the FDA and its processes, I could not in good conscience support a nominee who would need to recuse himself from so many issues and cases handled by the agency. The fine men and women working in White Oak, Maryland, deserve a full-time Commissioner from the start and not one that needs to sit outside the room as important decisions are being made.”

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