Senate confirms Marty Makary to lead FDA, Jay Bhattacharya to head NIH

The Senate Tuesday confirmed Dr. Marty Makary to run the Food and Drug Administration and Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to lead the National Institutes of Health.

Both were confirmed largely along party lines. Makary was confirmed as FDA commissioner by a vote of 56-44, while Bhattacharya was confirmed as NIH director by a margin of 53-47.

Three Democrats joined all Republicans in confirming Makary: Sens. Dick Durbin, Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen. However, no Democrats voted in favor of Bhattacharya.