Federal Updates
Senate confirms FDA, NIH, CMS nominees; CDC still pending
The U.S. Senate on March 25 confirmed the nominations of Dr. Jay Bhattacharya – a physician, Stanford professor of medicine and senior fellow at the university's Institute for Economic Policy Research – to lead the National Institutes of Health and Dr. Martin Makary – a surgeon and public policy researcher at Johns Hopkins University – to lead the Food and Drug Administration. On April 3, the U.S. Senate confirmed the nomination of Dr. Mehmet Oz, a former heart surgeon, to serve as CMS administrator.
Last month, President Trump nominated Susan Monarez, a longtime federal employee and current acting CDC director, as his new pick to lead the agency after withdrawing the nomination of former congressman and physician Dave Weldon for the position over concerns his nomination did not have enough votes to clear committee. Monarez has served as acting CDC director since Jan. 23. If she is confirmed, she also would be the first CDC director in decades not to be a physician.
Kennedy to tell CDC to stop recommending water fluoridation
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on April 7 that he plans to direct the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to stop recommending that state and local governments add fluoride to public drinking water. He also stated his intention to form a task force to reevaluate the health impacts of fluoride. This announcement coincided with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) decision to review new scientific information regarding potential health risks associated with fluoride consumption to inform any changes to the national standards.
OMSs advocate on the Hill
The 24th Annual Day on the Hill brought near record participation from more than 100 AAOMS members from across the country to Washington, D.C. on March 26 to educate members of Congress and their staff about the OMS specialty and advocate for the Association’s federal legislative priorities, which included student loan repayment reform, solutions to drug and supply shortages, coverage for congenital craniofacial anomalies and a reversal of the 2025 Medicare physician payment cuts. By the time the event concluded, 86 OMSs and 21 residents from 40 states plus the District of Columbia - including 49 first-time attendees - had met with 180 congressional offices. It was the largest number of states represented since AAOMS began consistently tracking in 2013.
Strengthen the impact of your colleagues’ in-person meetings by sending your constituent members of Congress pre-drafted emails, ensuring the specialty’s priorities remain top of mind. It only takes five minutes!
Visit AAOMS.org/DayontheHill to view photos from this year’s event. Be sure to save the date for the 25th annual AAOMS Day on the Hill taking place on March 17-18, 2026.
HHS restructuring impacts oral health staff
HHS announced on March 27 a departmental restructuring, resulting in the layoffs of 10,000 full-time employees, following the earlier departure of another 10,000 employees and reducing the workforce from 82,000 to 62,000. The cuts have impacted personnel across HHS, including the CDC, NIH and FDA. Meanwhile, some employees in these agencies have been reassigned to other divisions. Notably, the layoffs include the entire CDC’s Division of Oral Health, which has played a role in infection control efforts, as well as Health Resources and Services Administration Chief Dental Officer Adam Barefoot, DMD, MPH, along with other oral health employees at the agency.
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chair Bill Cassidy, MD (R-La.) and Ranking Member Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) invited HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to testify before the committee on April 10 about the scope and impact of the reorganization. However, Kennedy has not confirmed his attendance. It remains unclear if or when he will appear, but any appearance would now take place after the two-week Easter congressional recess. HHS staff also is scheduled to brief the House Energy and Commerce Committee about the changes this week.
AAOMS joins coalition supporting CMS Chief Dental Officer
In light of anticipated reorganization within HHS, AAOMS joined the ADA and a coalition of 27 national organizations in emphasizing the importance of the Chief Dental Officer role within CMS. In a March 24 letter to the HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Acting CMS Administrator Stephanie Carlton, the coalition urges CMS to preserve and bolster the Chief Dental Officer position. The letter emphasizes how this role is crucial for prioritizing oral health and for maintaining recognition of the integral link between oral health and overall health within federal healthcare programs such as Medicare and Medicaid.
House passes Senate budget resolution
The Senate on April 5 adopted a revised budget resolution that retains a House-passed proposal directing the House Energy and Commerce Committee to come up with $880 billion in savings – an amount the Congressional Budget Office says would require Medicaid program cuts to achieve. The House subsequently passed the revised Senate plan on April 10. The resolution outlines the spending framework for President Trump’s priorities, which include tax cuts; increased military, border security and immigration enforcement spending; domestic energy incentives and an increase to the debt limit. It includes lower spending cut targets and more tax cuts that are not fully offset, compared to what the House originally passed in February.
The move by both chambers now enables Republican leaders to draft the details of separate legislation to implement those priorities using the reconciliation process, which allows the measure to bypass a Senate filibuster.
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