Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) announced on Tuesday his intention to vote against President Joe Biden's nomination for director of the National Institutes of Health, Monica Bertagnolli, calling into question her willingness to challenge the pharmaceutical industry.

"Dr. Monica Bertagnolli is an intelligent and caring person, but has not convinced me that she is prepared to take on the greed and power of the drug companies and the healthcare industry and fight for the transformative changes the NIH needs at this critical moment," Sanders wrote in a statement.

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Bertagnolli is the current director of the National Cancer Institute, part of the NIH, and was selected by Biden in May in part due to her successful progress in the president's "Cancer Moonshot Initiative."

Sanders, chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, had taken several steps to block Bertagnolli's nomination over the summer, citing the need for the Biden administration to take serious action against the rising price of prescription drugs and other healthcare costs.

This Wednesday, the full committee is scheduled to vote on advancing Bertagnolli's nomination. Democrats only have a one-member advantage on the panel, meaning that Sanders's "no" vote jeopardizes her advancement.

The independent senator, a top critic of drug companies in Congress, previously told reporters that he met with Bertagnolli privately prior to her confirmation hearing last week but refused to elaborate on the content of their discussion.

Over the summer, Bertagnolli promised Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), also a staunch opponent to Big Pharma, that she would not take a position at any major pharmaceutical company for at least four years after leaving her position at the NIH.

Bertagnolli confirmed this intention again during her confirmation hearing last Wednesday before Senate HELP.

Sanders cited exorbitant healthcare costs as the rationale for necessitating a strong hand in changing NIH leadership.

"Our healthcare system is broken and dysfunctional," Sanders wrote. "Despite our huge healthcare expenditures, or life expectancy, especially for working families, is below most other wealthy nations — and is declining."

Sanders also cited the $45 billion a year of taxpayer funding for NIH research that leads to pharmaceutical research that he said fuels profits for industry rather than lowers drug prices.

"We pay the highest prices in the world for the drugs US tax payers help to develop and one out of four Americans cannot afford to buy the drugs their doctors prescribe," Sanders said.

It is unclear how other Democrats on the committee will vote.

A White House spokesperson told the Washington Examiner that Biden shares Sanders's concerns on drug pricing but that it should not influence how the committee votes regarding Bertagnolli.

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"Dr. Bertagnolli is a world-class physician-scientist whose vision and leadership will ensure NIH continues to be an engine of innovation to improve the health of the American people," the White House spokesperson said. "We look forward to continuing to work with the Senate to get Dr. Monica Bertagnolli confirmed quickly."

"This should be a vote of conscience," Sanders said in his statement.