Washington, D.C. – Today, Senator Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) questioned Dr. Marty Makary, the Trump Administration’s Nominee for Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner.
WATCH ALSOBROOKS’ FULL QUESTIONING HERE
Senator Alsobrooks: In the same vein, I wonder whether you realize that many of FDA’s salaries – you may already know this – are paid in large not by taxpayers, but by user fees. Are you familiar with that?
Dr. Makary: Yes, I am, Senator.
Senator Alsobrooks: And so, the concept that the reason to terminate these employees is to save taxpayer dollars is one that’s based on a premise that is largely not true, since we use the user fees for many of the salaries. And that being the case, I wonder whether you would commit then to rehiring the 100 employees who were fired from FDA’s tobacco center, which is 100% funded by user fees. Will you commit to going back and looking at rehiring the 100 who were terminated?
Dr. Makary: Senator, if an employee has not logged on to their VPN in two years, then I don’t want to rehire that individual. But if there are people that deserve a look, I of course, I am happy to look at that.
Senator Alsobrooks: Right, we’re talking about, again, there’s a big lie out there that says that these civil servants are lazy, they are shiftless, they don’t show up – that is by and large not true. So I’m asking you if you would go back and look at the ones who have been summarily terminated without cause. And your answer to that has been yes you would go back and make your own independent assessment.
Dr. Makary: I will do an assessment if confirmed Senator, thank you.
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