President Donald Trump has picked Dr. Heidi Overton to lead the Food and Drug Administration. Overton is a deputy director of the White House Domestic Policy Council and a trusted figure in Trump's administration. Overton has worked on several of Trump's health initiatives. But the new FDA commissioner will face challenges balancing Trump's priorities, traditional Republican interests and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s anti-corporate stance. Overton will need Senate confirmation and face questions from the Senate health committee. The previous FDA head, Dr. Marty Makary, resigned in May, leaving unfinished projects like work on ultra-processed foods, antidepressants and COVID-19 shots.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has several programs funded by Congress that lack staff to operate them. These zombie programs include initiatives for Alzheimer’s, smoking prevention and epilepsy. President Donald Trump's Republican administration laid off thousands of employees as a cost-cutting move beginning in April 2025. While some cuts were reversed, many experts remain on paid leave due to ongoing legal battles. Democrats argue this situation violates the law, but there’s limited congressional enforcement. Despite plans to hire more staff, union officials say significant rehiring has not occurred, leaving many programs inactive.