Trump appoints head of FDA, Dept of Labor, OMB, Surgeon General, and other key positions

President-elect Donald Trump has announced several new high-level cabinet nominations as part of his rapid effort to assemble his administration on Friday. Trump named Dr. Marty Makary as Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer as Secretary of Labor, Russell Vought as Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and Dr. Janette Nesheiwat as Surgeon General.

Dr. Marty Makary is a surgeon at Johns Hopkins University and a health policy expert. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Makary was a prominent voice about the benefits of natural immunity.

In regard to the nomination, Trump said in a statement, “FDA has lost the trust of Americans, and has lost sight of its primary goal as a regulator. The Agency needs Dr. Marty Makary, a highly respected Johns Hopkins Surgical oncologist and Health Policy Expert, to course-correct and refocus the Agency.” Trump noted that Makary would be working under the leadership of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Lori Chavez-DeRemer, a congresswoman from Oregon who recently lost her re-election bid, has been nominated as Secretary of Labor. Chavez-DeRemer, known for her bipartisan approach to labor issues, has been praised for her work on the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, legislation that aimed to make unionizing easier for workers. She has received favorable recognition from Teamsters President Sean O’Brien, according to CNN. 

“Lori’s strong support from both the Business and Labor communities will ensure that the Labor Department can unite Americans of all backgrounds behind our Agenda for unprecedented National Success - Making America Richer, Wealthier, Stronger and more Prosperous than ever before!” Trump said in a statement announcing the decision.

Trump also tapped Russell Vought to serve as the director of the OMB. Vought previously served as the head of the OMB during Trump's first term in office and is an advocate of deregulation.

“I am very pleased to nominate Russell Thurlow Vought, from the Great State of Virginia, as the Director of the United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB),” Trump said in a post.

Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, Trump’s pick for Surgeon General, is the medical director of CityMD, a network of urgent care clinics in New York and New Jersey. She has also worked as a physician at Washington Regional Medical Center and Northwest Medical Hospital. A Fox News medical contributor and author of Beyond the Stethoscope: Miracles in Medicine, Nesheiwat is known for her advocacy of preventative medicine and public health. 

“She is committed to ensuring that Americans have access to affordable, quality healthcare, and believes in empowering individuals to take charge of their health to live longer, healthier lives,” Trump said in a social media post announcing her nomination.