Unprecedented Oversight: Examining the Biden Administration’s Influence on FDA’s COVID-19 Vaccine Approval Process

In a major oversight hearing, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Government Administration, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust will delve into the Biden administration’s influence on the FDA to expedite approval of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine and booster. The hearing, titled “Following the Science?: Oversight of the Biden State’s Response to Covid-19,” will take place on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. ET.

During the hearing, the Subcommittee will focus on concerns about the Biden administration pressuring the FDA to lower its standards and approve the vaccine despite reports of potential harm among young Americans. This expedited approval led to the administration’s decision to approve the vaccine. Congress will debate potential reforms to ensure greater accountability within the administrative state, particularly when it comes to vaccine approval processes.

Witnesses scheduled to testify at the hearing include Dr. Philip Krause, MD, former deputy director of FDA’s Office of Vaccine Research and Review; Aaron Siri, an expert in vaccine litigation; Jordan Vaughn, MD, founder and president of Microvascular Research Foundation in Birmingham; and Andrew Tobias Pavia MD, chief of pediatric infectious disease and geographic medicine at University of Utah School of Medicine. Each witness is expected to provide insight and testimony regarding their perspectives on maintaining transparency and accountability in government agencies during vaccine approval processes.

The hearing aims to shed light on one of