WASHINGTON—Today, The Heritage Foundation congratulated Johns Hopkins surgeon Dr. Marty Makary, who was nominated to lead the Food and Drug Administration as commissioner, and former Rep. Dave Weldon, who was nominated to serve as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  

In 2021, Makary served as an expert panelist for a Heritage event that examined the Biden administration's COVID-19 vaccine mandate.  

Jay Richards, director of Heritage’s DeVos Center for Life, Religion, and Family, made the following statement: 

“I’m delighted with the nominations of both Dr. Makary and Rep. Weldon. Both men not only have distinguished careers, but they have both shown great moral courage in the face of intense opposition. Rep. Weldon has long been a champion for the lives of the ‘least among us,’ and Dr. Makary stood up to the madness that overtook our nation during the COVID pandemic, at a time when such a stance could destroy a scientist’s career. He’s been vindicated by subsequent events, but he spoke out when it was still a huge risk.” 

Robert Moffit, a senior research fellow in Heritage’s Center for Health and Welfare Policy, added:   

“Few medical professionals have been as insightful in restoring public trust in public health as Dr. Makary. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, he provided Congress and the public not only with sound scientific analysis of the deadly disease but also sound advice in responding to it. While the Biden-Harris administration tried to impose an unprecedented and illegal COVID vaccine mandate, Dr. Makary warned that such a draconian measure was both unnecessary and counterproductive.  

“Most importantly, he is an outstanding champion of the most rigorous conduct of scientific investigation. Clarity in the publication and reporting of scientific findings on complex medical topics is crucial for America’s doctors and the well-being of their patients.”