The Senate voted Monday night to confirm President Bush's nominee to lead the Food and Drug Administration. Dr. Lester Crawford's confirmation had been delayed for months due to controversy over the morning-after-pill and over rumors that Dr. Crawford was having an affair with one of his colleagues.
Crawford earned bipartisan support in the end, winning the vote by a count of 78-16.
Republican Senator Michael Enzi from Wyoming was responsible for shepherding Dr. Crawford's nomination through Congress.
'I am pleased,' Mr. Enzi said in a statement. 'The F.D.A. is at a crucial point in its history.'
The biggest source of criticism Monday night came from Iowa Republican Charles E. Grassley who has been investigating the F.D.A. over the past 18 months. Dr. Crawford has been serving as acting director while his confirmation vote was pending.
'It is becoming more and more obvious to me that F.D.A. is plagued by structural, personnel, cultural and scientific problems,' Mr. Grassley told the 'New York Times.' 'Those problems should be equally obvious to Dr. Crawford, but under the leadership of Dr. Crawford the F.D.A. appears to be in a state of denial.'
Backers of Dr. Crawford countered that he has not had full authority to deal with issues while he has held the title of 'acting' commissioner.
'Under Dr. Crawford's leadership, we have seen stepped-up efforts to monitor drug safety and to inform patients and doctors about the risks of drugs,' Massachusetts Democrat Ted Kennedy said.
Among the issues holding up a vote on Dr. Crawford was the F.D.A.'s failure to vote on Plan B, more commonly known as the 'morning after pill.' Conservative groups have opposed the sale of Plan B because they claim it would encourage young people to engage in risky sexual behavior. Proponents of the morning after pill assert that it would reduce unwanted pregnancies and abortions.
Two leading Democrats in the Senate, Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Patty Murray of Washington, had placed 'holds' on Dr. Crawford's nomination until the F.D.A. decided whether or not to allow Plan B to be sold over the counter. The decision was due by law in January but it was delayed.
Finally, last week, administration officials promised a decision by September 1 on Plan B and the holds were lifted.
There were also rumors that Dr. Crawford was having an affair with a co-worker. There was contradictory testimony offered but no proof and in the end, Senators decided they did not wish to pursue the matter further.
