On March 13, 2025, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee voted to favorably report the nominations of Dr. Martin Makary to be Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to be Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), by votes of 14-9 and 12-11, respectively. That day, the HELP Committee was also scheduled to hold a hearing on the nomination of Dr. Dave Weldon, a former Member of Congress, to be Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). However, hours before the confirmation hearing, it was announced that the White House withdrew Dr. Weldon’s nomination. Meanwhile, Dr. Mehmet Oz, the nominee for Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) appeared at a hearing before the Senate Finance Committee on March 14, 2025. 

Impact on General Dentistry: The AGD will continue to monitor these nominations. These agencies are responsible for many issues impacting general dentistry, such as practice related regulations, reimbursement policies, research funding, and approval of new medical treatments.