FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Doctors for America
PO Box: 21161
2300 18th St NW Lbby
Washington, DC 20009-9996
April 29, 2025
FDA Task Force Statement on President Trump’s First 100 Days in Office
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today marks 100 days since President Trump took office, a period that has historically sets the tone and agenda for a President’s term. As we approached this milestone, Doctors for America’s (DFA) FDA Task Force has been reflecting on President Trump’s actions thus far. The president and his cabinet’s decisions directly impact how we practice and care for our patients. Though there have been many troubling policy changes, at this juncture, we are giving the President and the newly confirmed FDA Commissioner an “incomplete” grade. However, this assessment comes with alarm – essential services our patients rely on and that we as clinicians need to provide high-quality, evidence-based care have been obliterated by seemingly haphazard decision-making. HHS and FDA leadership put forward an initial reorganization plan with little to no justification for the dismissal of nearly 20,000 expert staff and the dissolution of entire agencies. This is not needed reform, but rather, destruction of our health system that only exacerbates the very “fraud, waste, and abuse” the President and HHS Secretary seek to root out.
Of note, last December, FDA Task Force members sent a letter to Senate HELP Committee leaders outlining physician priorities for the next FDA Commissioner, and we will continue to monitor Dr. Makary’s first 100 days as FDA Commissioner in alignment with these principles.
- Meaningful Clinical Experience: We were pleased to see President Trump appoint an individual with essential clinical and research experience to serve as the next FDA Commissioner. We hope that Commissioner Makary will utilize his experience to help ensure FDA puts patients over politics throughout his tenure.
- Commitment to Transparency: Under President Trump, HHS and FDA have rapidly become less transparent. At the same time that Secretary Kennedy promised ‘radical transparency,’ the agency eliminated opportunities for public comment on proposed regulations, fired thousands of individuals including those responsible for responding to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and communicating to clinicians about medical product safety concerns, and provided minimal public information on the unprecedented reorganization efforts at HHS and FDA. Vague statements by HHS and FDA leadership about rehiring officials and reconstituting essential agencies that were essentially eliminated have been made — however, a clear plan that ensures patients have continued access to healthcare and public health services has not been put forward to the public.
- Recognizing Existing Expertise: Thousands of our nation’s leading scientific experts and dedicated public servants have been fired from the FDA without cause or justification. The individuals terminated were responsible for everything from regulating the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in medical devices, overseeing and enforcing postmarket studies, updating drug labels to include important safety information, and monitoring drug shortages. As the agency moves forward with a significantly diminished workforce, physicians who rely on the FDA to make treatment decisions will be left without clear, independent guidance on which medical products are truly effective and safe, ultimately putting patients at risk.
- Reducing Industry Conflicts of Interest: Commissioner Makary has previously made statements that the agency should not be unduly influenced by industry and the need for strong evidence to support regulatory decision-making – a priority that’s in alignment with DFA’s mission. We appreciate his efforts to remove industry conflicts of interest from advisory committees – a position we have also advocated for to ensure that independent, outside expertise is being considered by the FDA to guide their decision-making. Both Secretary Kennedy and Commissioner Makary have proposed strategies to mitigate the “revolving door” between the government and the industries they regulate. DFA also strongly supports efforts to retain talent at the FDA and believes there should be clear regulations surrounding conflicts of interest to ensure that decisions are free from industry influence.
- Uphold Established Regulations: The Commissioner must uphold established regulations and ensure the agency’s regulatory authority is not rolled back due to political fervor. Although the President has directed agencies to review regulations deemed to be “unlawful”, FDA leadership must scrutinize this carefully to ensure that it maintains its regulatory authority necessary to protect patients and public health. Additionally, abandoning ongoing challenges to access safe and proven therapies will directly harm our patients. The recent decision in the lower courts to strike down FDA’s rule asserting its existing authority to regulate lab-developed tests, tests administered to millions of patients each year with no premarketing testing to confirm clinical validity, is alarming. FDA must continue to defend such regulations in the courts to fulfill its mandate of ensuring the safety and efficacy of medical products.
- Commitment to Leading with Science: Unfortunately, several major reforms we’ve seen thus far at HHS and FDA have prioritized political ideology over scientific evidence. The administration had removed publicly available scientific data and information related to drug safety, clinical trial diversity, adolescent health, contraception, and HIV necessary for clinicians like us to deliver high-quality, evidence-based care for patients. The agency has also delayed vaccine advisory panels. With no scientific reasoning for the delay, this raises concerns that decisions on settled science will be made opaquely and without a sound data-driven rationale – the opposite of the transparency pledge made by each nominee.
The FDA Task Force will continue to monitor the FDA Commissioner’s adherence to these essential principles.
For press inquiries and to discuss this issue with members of the Doctors for America FDA Task Force, please contact Alli Everton with Continuum Health Group ([email protected]).
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About Doctors for America:
Doctors for America mobilizes doctors and medical students to be leaders in putting patients over politics to improve the health of our patients, communities, and nation. DFA is an organization of over 27,000 physician and medical student advocates in all 50 states, representing all areas of specialization. DFA teaches physicians and medical students advocacy skills and does advocacy at a state and federal level. Our impact areas focus on access to affordable care, community health and prevention, and health justice and equity. DFA focuses solely on what is best for our patients, not on the business side of medicine, and does not accept any funding from pharmaceutical or medical device companies, which uniquely positions DFA as the organization that puts patients over politics and patients over profits.
Find out more at doctorsforamerica.org and on Twitter drsforamerica or Bluesky drsforamerica.bsky.social.