The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has a new Commissioner in Dr. Scott Gottlieb. Today Gottlieb was confirmed by the United States Senate in a vote of 57 -42.

Gottlieb, a physician and former Deputy Commissioner at the FDA was nominated by President Donald Trump back in March.  Late last month, he was approved by a vote of 14-9 in the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee –  clearing his way for the full vote in the Senate.

Gottlieb’s selection has been hailed by the premium cigar industry. He has been on the record saying the FDA may be overreaching when it comes to regulation on tobacco. For more details and background, see our article here.

In a press release by the International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers (IPCPR), CEO Mark Pursell commented, “During his confirmation process, Dr. Gottlieb repeatedly stressed that he will rely on science and common sense, not ideology, to guide his time as commissioner. His past statements on then-proposed regulations for our industry further highlight the new viewpoint he will bring to the FDA. As an industry that knows there is no sound scientific argument to support the new requirements placed on traditional and premium cigars, Dr. Gottlieb’s sober attitude toward regulation combined with his vast public health experience is refreshing.”

The votes by members of the Senate were as follows:

Alexander (R-TN), Yea
Baldwin (D-WI), Nay
Barrasso (R-WY), Yea
Bennet (D-CO), Yea
Blumenthal (D-CT), Nay
Blunt (R-MO), Yea
Booker (D-NJ), Nay
Boozman (R-AR), Yea
Brown (D-OH), Nay
Burr (R-NC), Yea
Cantwell (D-WA), Nay
Capito (R-WV), Yea
Cardin (D-MD), Nay
Carper (D-DE), Yea
Casey (D-PA), Nay
Cassidy (R-LA), Yea
Cochran (R-MS), Yea
Collins (R-ME), Yea
Coons (D-DE), Yea
Corker (R-TN), Yea
Cornyn (R-TX), Yea
Cortez Masto (D-NV), Nay
Cotton (R-AR), Yea
Crapo (R-ID), Yea
Cruz (R-TX), Yea
Daines (R-MT), Yea
Donnelly (D-IN), Nay
Duckworth (D-IL), Nay
Durbin (D-IL), Nay
Enzi (R-WY), Yea
Ernst (R-IA), Yea
Feinstein (D-CA), Nay
Fischer (R-NE), Yea
Flake (R-AZ), Yea
Franken (D-MN), Nay
Gardner (R-CO), Yea
Gillibrand (D-NY), Nay
Graham (R-SC), Yea
Grassley (R-IA), Yea
Harris (D-CA), Nay
Hassan (D-NH), Nay
Hatch (R-UT), Yea
Heinrich (D-NM), Nay
Heitkamp (D-ND), Yea
Heller (R-NV), Yea
Hirono (D-HI), Nay
Hoeven (R-ND), Yea
Inhofe (R-OK), Yea
Isakson (R-GA), Not Voting
Johnson (R-WI), Yea
Kaine (D-VA), Nay
Kennedy (R-LA), Yea
King (I-ME), Yea
Klobuchar (D-MN), Nay
Lankford (R-OK), Yea
Leahy (D-VT), Nay
Lee (R-UT), Yea
Manchin (D-WV), Nay
Markey (D-MA), Nay
McCain (R-AZ), Yea
McCaskill (D-MO), Nay
McConnell (R-KY), Yea
Menendez (D-NJ), Nay
Merkley (D-OR), Nay
Moran (R-KS), Yea
Murkowski (R-AK), Yea
Murphy (D-CT), Nay
Murray (D-WA), Nay
Nelson (D-FL), Yea
Paul (R-KY), Yea
Perdue (R-GA), Yea
Peters (D-MI), Nay
Portman (R-OH), Yea
Reed (D-RI), Nay
Risch (R-ID), Yea
Roberts (R-KS), Yea
Rounds (R-SD), Yea
Rubio (R-FL), Yea
Sanders (I-VT), Nay
Sasse (R-NE), Yea
Schatz (D-HI), Nay
Schumer (D-NY), Nay
Scott (R-SC), Yea
Shaheen (D-NH), Nay
Shelby (R-AL), Yea
Stabenow (D-MI), Nay
Strange (R-AL), Yea
Sullivan (R-AK), Yea
Tester (D-MT), Nay
Thune (R-SD), Yea
Tillis (R-NC), Yea
Toomey (R-PA), Yea
Udall (D-NM), Nay
Van Hollen (D-MD), Nay
Warner (D-VA), Nay
Warren (D-MA), Nay
Whitehouse (D-RI), Nay
Wicker (R-MS), Yea
Wyden (D-OR), Nay
Young (R-IN), Yea

Note: Vote correction was made 57-42.  It was incorrectly posted as 57-41.  The 57-41 vote turned out to be the vote for cloture on the nomination. We apologize for the error.

Photo Credit: Scott Gottlieb, Linked In