Politics & Government
FDA Commissioner, A Westport Resident, To Step Down
Scott Gottlieb, M.D., has been Food and Drug Administration Commissioner since May 2017.
WESTPORT, CT — Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb, a Westport resident, is stepping down from his post "sometime next month," Gottlieb and President Donald Trump announced on Twitter Tuesday.
Gottlieb, who has sought to make reducing teen vaping a signature issue, was appointed to the position by Trump in May 2017.
Why Gottlieb decided to step down, and what he intends to do next, has not been revealed, but he was commuting between Westport and Washington D.C., which meant time away from his wife and three young daughters.
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"I'm immensely grateful for the opportunity to help lead this wonderful agency, for the support of my colleagues, for the public health goals we advanced together, and the strong support of @SecAzar and @realDonaldTrump - This has been a wonderful journey and parting is very hard," Gottlieb wrote on Twitter.
Though he took steps to reduce teen vaping, Gottlieb has not removed e-cigarettes from the market, a move that has drawn criticism, reports CNBC.
Find out what's happening in Westportfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
I’m immensely grateful for the opportunity to help lead this wonderful agency, for the support of my colleagues, for the public health goals we advanced together, and the strong support of @SecAzar and @realDonaldTrump - This has been a wonderful journey and parting is very hard. https://t.co/1Zu9y7NTwR
— Scott Gottlieb, M.D. (@SGottliebFDA) March 5, 2019
Scott Gottlieb, who has done an absolutely terrific job as Commissioner of the FDA, plans to leave government service sometime next month....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 5, 2019
....Scott has helped us to lower drug prices, get a record number of generic drugs approved and onto the market, and so many other things. He and his talents will be greatly missed!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 5, 2019
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