The Senate on Tuesday voted with a margin of 62-36 to confirm Monica Bertagnolli as the 17th permanent director of the National Institutes of Health, making her the first woman to hold the title.
Bertagnolli, nominated in May by President Joe Biden, overcame the opposition of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), drawing support not just from Democrats but also from a significant number of Republicans, including Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Mitt Romney (R-UT).
STATE RACES TO WATCH IN THE 2023 ELECTIONS
During her confirmation hearing last month before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, Bertagnolli said that restoring trust in the NIH would be one of her top priorities in the leadership role over the agency. Bertagnolli also said she plans to utilize the scientific research of the agency to improve representation, access, and quality of healthcare for underserved communities, especially in rural America.
Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) said on the floor on Tuesday that Bertagnolli's leadership would also direct more resources to improving women's health as well as lowering barriers for women in science, including by addressing sexual harassment.
Currently the director of the National Cancer Institute, Bertagnolli is a well-regarded physician-scientist in the field of surgical oncology. Biden nominated Bertagnolli in part due to her record advancing his Cancer Moonshot initiative, which seeks to prevent 4 million cancer deaths by 2047.
Sanders, the chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, stalled the confirmation of Bertagnolli and other public health offices this summer, saying he would only advance them if the administration made more of a concerted effort to lower prescription drug prices.
Sanders was the only left-leaning politician to vote against Bertagnolli in the HELP Committee hearing, the cloture vote to progress her confirmation, and the full floor vote on Tuesday, saying that Bertagnolli did not convince him "that she is prepared to take on the greed and power of the drug companies and the healthcare industry."
Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) also voted against Bertagnolli, making him the only member of the Democratic Party to vote no for her confirmation.
Bertagnolli reaffirmed during her confirmation hearing before the HELP Committee that she would not take a position with a major pharmaceutical company for a minimum of four years after concluding her tenure in public service.
The NIH has been without a permanent director since Francis Collins retired from the position in December 2021. Since then, Lawrence Tabak has been the second-longest-serving acting director of the agency, second to acting Director Ruth Kirschstein's tenure from January 2000 to May 2002.
Tabak, Collins, and the NIH as a whole have been under scrutiny from the House this session in relation to the origins of SARS-CoV-2 and as part of the broader oversight of COVID-19 policy from the Department of Health and Human Services.
When asked by Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN) regarding the controversies at NIH and the lack of compliance with congressional investigations from both NIH and HHS, Bertagnolli replied that she would take seriously all congressional oversight inquiries and would work with Congress regarding health policy priorities.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Braun, along with other staunch critics of the NIH's COVID-19 policies, such as Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Josh Hawley (R-MO), voted against Bertagnolli's confirmation.
The White House has not responded to the Washington Examiner's request for comment.