Sens. Clinton, Murray blocking FDA nominee

Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) are vowing to block President Bush’s nominee to head the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) because the agency has not announced its policy on a controversial emergency contraceptive.

Clinton and Murray intend to place holds on Lester Crawford’s nomination until FDA either approves or rejects that over-the-counter status for the emergency contraceptive Plan B. Murray, Clinton and Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) met with Crawford yesterday.

"He didn’t provide the types of answers she wanted to hear," said a Murray spokesman.

Clinton said, "FDA has had the Plan B application for years and the American people simply need an answer yes or no.  Science should never take a back seat to politics and ideology."

Jeffrey Young