WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Senate on Monday moved closer to confirming Dr. Robert Califf to lead the Food and Drug Administration, overriding opposition from several senators who had sought to block a vote on the issue.
In a procedural move designed to prevent the opponents from blocking the confirmation indefinitely, the Senate voted to limit further debate on the matter to no more than 30 hours, meaning a confirmation vote could take place as early as Tuesday.
Opponents included Democrats Edward Markey of Massachusetts and Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who had sought to block the confirmation vote citing disagreements with the FDA's process for approving opioid painkillers.