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WASHINGTON – Democrats mostly held their fire after President Trump on Friday nominated Dr. Scott Gottlieb as FDA commissioner. Gottlieb has close ties to, and has been widely endorsed by,
the pharmaceutical industry. That’s been a red flag for Democrats in the past. But leaders of the left in Congress were largely quiet about the pick, perhaps because they know Trump had
flirted with far more radical choices — including a libertarian who once proposed replacing agency scrutiny of new medications with a “Yelp for drugs.” Democratic Senator Patty Murray put
out a statement Saturday saying that she had “initial concerns” about whether Gottlieb’s views would diminish “our ability to maintain the gold standard of FDA approval.” And she said she
plans to “closely review” Gottlieb’s career “to determine whether financial entanglements or conflicts of interest could impact his decision-making.” STAT+ Exclusive Story Already have an
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