{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.bluntrochester.senate.gov/news/press-releases/news-senator-blunt-rochester-questions-trump-nominee-for-commissioner-of-the-food-and-drug-administration/", "NEWS: Senator Blunt Rochester Questions Trump Nominee for Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration", "2026-09-24", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "Senate", "DE", "Lisa Blunt Rochester", "B001303", "www.bluntrochester.senate.gov", "bluntrochester", "https://www.bluntrochester.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "scraper", "\u201cWe hope that you will use science if you are confirmed, and we hope that you will stand up if the information is incorrect or wrong because lives are on the line.\u201d\n\nClick here to watch Senator Blunt Rochester\u2019s Remarks\n\nU.S. Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.),a member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, today questioned Heidi Overton, MD, PhD, President Trump\u2019s nominee for Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Blunt Rochester\u2019s questions focused on Dr. Overton\u2019s involvement in the Trump administration\u2019s changes to critical vaccine schedules.\n\nSenator Blunt Rochester\u2019s exchange can be found here, and a key excerpt is below:\n\nSenator Blunt Rochester: \u201cThe president has also proposed giving babies microdosed vaccines at roughly 20 percent of the current dose. So, wouldn\u2019t that mean that they\u2019d have to have five times the [number] of shots, [and] the parents would have to visit five times with their child\u2026Who pays for that? Is it insurers who pay for it? Is it the parents who pay for it? Is it the taxpayers who pay for it? How does this actually happen?\u201d\n\nDr. Overton: \u201cThe President is aware, and he has talked about it recently. He knows that companies would need to submit an application to the FDA. That this would take time. I believe that he is solving for feedback he has gotten of parents wanting an additional option on the market. It is not taking anything away. The current MMR vaccine is safe and effective. It is our best tool, and right now people should get that.\u201d\n\nSenator Blunt Rochester: \u201cThe administration is saying they want people to [get] less shots, but then they\u2019re telling them to [get] more shots, and it is not based on science. I\u2019m really concerned about that.\u201d", 1, "2026-09-25T10:04:52Z", "2026-09-25T10:05:46Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.bluntrochester.senate.gov/news/press-releases/news-senator-blunt-rochester-questions-trump-nominee-for-commissioner-of-the-food-and-drug-administration/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5365320723503828, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}