Bush names FDA chief to head Medicare, Medicaid
From John King
CNN Washington Bureau
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Mark McClellan
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush on Friday announced he will nominate FDA Commissioner Mark McClellan to head the agency that oversees the Medicare and Medicaid programs, including the implementation of the new prescription drug benefit, administration sources told CNN.
McClellan, a medical doctor with a doctorate in economics, has been at the helm of the Food and Drug Administration for 16 months.
McClellan is a Texan and older brother of White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan.
"Bite my tongue, he is a highly qualified nominee," Scott McClellan said with a smile as he announced his brother's appointment. Scott McClellan said his brother has "a proven record of working in a bipartisan way."
Before that, he served in the White House as a member of the President's Council of Economic Advisers.
As head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, McClellan will oversee the dramatic changes to the Medicare program enacted by Congress last year -- including the new prescription drug program.
The administration said the program would cost $400 billion over 10 years when it pushed for congressional passage.
However, its new budget projects the cost could be closer to $530 billion.
At the FDA, McClellan's tenure has included the decision to ban the sale of the weight-loss supplement Ephedra, and some controversy over the administration's decision to refuse to allow re-importation of prescription drugs from Canada.
The agency is still considering whether to allow over-the-counter sales of so-called "morning after" contraceptives.
That issue could become a debating point during the Senate confirmation process once Bush chooses McClellan's replacement at the FDA.
