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“People are anxious. Is it going to be someone that knows the agency? Is it going to be someone that people really respect and really want to work with?”

KFF Health News is a national health policy news service that is part of the nonpartisan Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.


KEY TAKEAWAYS

It's a tough job in normal times, observers say, and at the moment may be the worst top job in Washington.

At the heart of the tension is finding a nominee who balances the agency's dual responsibilities of protecting public health while also working with the healthcare sector to approve products and treatments.

Meanwhile, the agency has been mired in controversies related to drug approvals and COVID vaccines, and discord over decisions has spilled into public view.


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