The New Republic‘s Jonathan Cohn extols the virtues of public health veteran and pandemic pro Margaret Hamburg, and asks why nothing’s being done to accelerate the confirmation process for the proposed commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, given that she seems ideally equipped to head an agency with a key role in containing H1N1 flu.
AHCJ resources for covering swine flu, pandemics and preparednessHer confirmation hearings won’t take place until May 12. That means it’ll be at least two weeks, perhaps more, before she assumes the job.
Today I asked around, in the administration and on Capitol Hill, whether there was some way to move things along more quickly. Nobody I reached seemed to think so. And, oddly, nobody seemed too worked up about the delay.
