CALIFF’s CONFIRMATION TIMELINE SLIPS — A plot to speed Robert Califf’s FDA nomination through the Senate next month fell apart after the Biden administration failed to submit the necessary paperwork to Congress in time, Adam scoops. The delay means Califf won’t get a confirmation hearing until mid-December at the earliest. And with the Senate already facing several pressing issues and eager to get out of town for the holidays, there’s virtually no chance of a full floor vote on his appointment before the end of the year. How it happened: Senate HELP Committee Democrats had initially hoped to schedule Califf’s hearing for the week of Dec. 6, a timeline that would’ve given the full chamber a narrow shot at voting to confirm him at some point the next week. But the plan hinged on the administration submitting his nomination papers by Nov. 19 so the panel would have enough time to review all the materials. The administration blew past that deadline, pushing the earliest chance at a HELP hearing to the week of Dec. 13 and effectively ruling out a final confirmation vote until January. A Democratic Senate HELP Committee aide said the panel received Califf’s paperwork Monday and was working to schedule a hearing as soon as possible. But it’s the latest complication in a monthslong effort to install a permanent FDA chief. The process has already taken most of Biden’s first year, leaving the agency without a confirmed leader in the middle of a pandemic. That’s frustrated FDA staff who felt left in the dark throughout the search, and puzzled those close to the agency who privately question why it took so long to find a nominee — only to pick one bound to face criticism within the party over his ties to the health care industry. Still, the White House is counting on Califf winning bipartisan support when he does get time in front of the Senate. And, crucially, HELP Committee Chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.) has already endorsed his candidacy. BOOSTER SHOTS SURGE — Federal health officials approved Covid-19 booster doses for all adults last Friday. So far, 36.1 million fully vaccinated Americans have received booster shots. That’s double the number from less than a month ago, POLITICO DataPoint’s Annette Choi reports. VA DEFENDS OVERSIGHT OF VETS HOMES — The Department of Veterans Affairs doesn’t think it needs new authority to oversee state veterans homes, the agency told Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley in a letter this month obtained by POLITICO’s Darius Tahir. The letter emerged from POLITICO's ongoing coverage of state veterans homes, a type of state-run center for long-term and other care for veterans. The homes, which in many cases suffer from neglect, lack of resources and oversight, had higher rates of deaths than VA-run facilities. The situation prompted fresh calls for oversight, with Grassley sending a letter in August asking for more details about agency oversight policy for the homes. In its reply, the department says it doesn’t need new authority and is implementing a strategy to improve quality and training at poorly performing state homes. The department has also started disclosing more data under pressure from Congress and the press and released such information last week. | 
