Not the faintest whiff of discontent was evident at the confirmation hearing on 7 May for Margaret Hamburg to lead the US Food and Drug Administration, with senators from both parties saying that they thought her record was impressive.

Concern over the threat of A/H1N1 flu at a time when key health positions in Barack Obama’s administration remain unfilled—including several at the FDA, the National Institutes for Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—had prompted the Senate health committee to bring the hearing forward by a week.

Dr Hamburg played it safe at the confirmation session, saying that she was “deeply honoured” to be nominated. She saw her …