Heidi Overton, President Trump’s nominee to lead the FDA, faced repeated questions at a Senate hearing on vaccines and the abortion drug mifepristone. Overton told lawmakers she would follow the law and affirmed that the MMR vaccine is safe and effective, positioning existing products as appropriate tools during measles outbreaks. During questioning, senators probed whether Overton would support changes to vaccine guidance and how the agency should handle politically charged directives. Overton also affirmed mifepristone meets FDA safety and efficacy standards, while deflecting specific questions about whether Trump could be wrong about prior statements. The hearing comes amid a backdrop of FDA leadership turbulence over the prior 18 months and heightened attention to how regulators balance scientific frameworks with political priorities. Senators also raised questions about the FDA’s speed for medical research, tying oversight to the agency’s ability to compete with accelerating biotech development globally.