By Toni Clarke WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Senate on Monday moved closer to confirming Dr. Robert Califf to lead the Food and Drug Administration, overriding opposition from several senators who had sought to block a vote on the issue. In a procedural move designed to prevent the opponents from blocking the confirmation indefinitely, the Senate voted 80 to 6 in favor of limiting further debate on the matter to no more than 30 hours, meaning a confirmation vote could take place as early as Tuesday. Democrats Edward Markey of Massachusetts and Joe Manchin of West Virginia among others had sought to block the confirmation vote citing disagreements with the FDA's process for approving opioid painkillers.
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Senate moves closer to confirming Califf to lead FDA