INSIDE THE MESSY SEARCH FOR BIDEN's FDA CHIEF — The White House’s bid to find a permanent FDA commissioner has devolved into a drawn-out affair, turning what was once seen as a coronation of longtime regulator Janet Woodcock into a broader fight over the administration’s commitment to policing the drug industry, POLITICO’s Adam Cancryn reports. The search has pitted Biden’s allies in the cancer and drug development worlds against vocal anti-opioid activists and liberal groups — threatening to disrupt a rare moment of health care harmony within the Democratic Party. — At the center is Woodcock, an FDA veteran with broad credibility within the agency and on Capitol Hill. But her candidacy, once thought to be on the inside track, has slammed into rising opposition over accusations lax FDA oversight helped fuel the opioid epidemic, a concern that’s spread to the Senate. At least three Democratic senators have since voiced concerns about Woodcock, sparking fears that her formal nomination would prompt even more lawmakers to come out in opposition. And in the meantime, liberal groups have attacked Woodcock’s track record, accusing her of being too cozy with the drug industry. — But the White House has struggled to find other viable candidates. Officials in recent weeks have solicited suggestions for who else to consider, but no new consensus pick has emerged. A range of FDA experts and medical research groups have rallied around Woodcock in the meantime. — That’s left Biden facing an unexpected dilemma. A longtime supporter of cancer research with deep ties to the research community, his FDA pick was originally supposed to be among his easiest health care-related decisions. Instead, Biden is at the center of a divisive debate with no clear resolution. BECERRA ON THE VERGE OF CONFIRMATION — The Senate will vote at noon to confirm California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to helm HHS, at last filling a key post in Biden’s Cabinet. The vote is likely to be a narrow one, with the vast majority of Republicans objecting to his confirmation. But Becerra appears to have the votes, on the strength of support from Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine). BIDEN STARTS TOSSING OUT MEDICAID WORK RULES — Biden health officials quietly revoked Trump-era approvals for Medicaid work requirements in two states on Wednesday, as they begin unwinding one of the prior administration’s signature health policies, POLITICO’s Rachel Roubein reports. Those initial actions targeted programs in Arkansas and New Hampshire that mandated some enrollees work, volunteer or attend school as a condition of health coverage. — The timing here is significant. Though the administration had already signaled it would rescind the rules, their formal dismantling comes as the Supreme Court weighs whether to take up a legal case over work requirements — a case that may now be moot. It’s a move that could draw the ire of GOP-led states. At least seven states had defended their policies in recent letters to CMS, noting that states had already been effectively barred from enforcing work rules during the pandemic. Biden officials have nevertheless cited Covid as a reason for eliminating the requirements, and last week released a report highlighting their connection to “significant” coverage losses.
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