Dr. Heidi Overton, a physician and White House domestic policy adviser, is set to face a confirmation hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Thursday. The hearing will determine whether she can be confirmed as the next leader of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), an agency responsible for ensuring the safety and effectiveness of medical products, including drugs, vaccines, and food. Overton’s nomination comes at a time of heightened political and public scrutiny, as the FDA faces pressure from Republicans, including committee chair Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, to restrict access to mifepristone, a drug used in early abortions. Cassidy, a pivotal vote in Overton’s confirmation, has been a vocal critic of the FDA’s current policies on mifepristone. He has called for reversing a Biden-era rule that allows the drug to be prescribed via telemedicine and delivered by mail. In a recent committee report, Cassidy argued that manufacturers of mifepristone have not met their legal obligations to ensure the drug is used safely, especially when sold online through third-party sellers. Last January, he urged Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the previous FDA commissioner, Dr. Marty Makary, to complete a safety review of mifepristone, which the FDA announced in June. Overton’s views on abortion appear to align with Cassidy’s, according to Art Caplan, a medical ethics expert at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Overton, a preventive medicine physician, previously worked at the conservative think tank America First Policy Institute, where she supported the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and called for stricter restrictions on medication abortion, calling it “dangerous to women.” However, scientific studies have shown mifepristone is safe and effective when used as directed, even when taken at home. If confirmed, Overton would take over the FDA, which has been without a permanent commissioner since Makary resigned in May. Her confirmation would also make her a key ally to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who oversees the FDA. Overton has expressed support for Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” initiative and appeared with former President Donald Trump when he announced an executive order to reduce the number of vaccines recommended for children. Trump nominated Overton to lead the FDA shortly after. However, some experts have questioned her qualifications, noting she lacks experience in managing a large agency or conducting clinical trials. Senator Dorit Reiss, a law professor and vaccine policy expert, said Overton’s appointment appears to be driven more by political alignment than professional expertise.