Can Trump ever be wrong? His pick to lead FDA refused to say.
Can Trump ever be wrong? His pick to lead FDA refused to say.
特朗普会犯错吗？他提名的 FDA 局长人选拒绝回答。
Heidi Overton, President Trump’s nominee to lead the Food and Drug Administration, went before the Senate health committee Thursday, facing questions about her stances on vaccines, flavored vapes, birth control, and abortion, among other issues. She spent nearly two hours stonewalling senators, even on softball questions. 特朗普总统提名的食品药品监督管理局（FDA）局长人选海蒂·奥弗顿（Heidi Overton）周四出席了参议院卫生委员会的听证会，就疫苗、调味电子烟、避孕措施和堕胎等议题接受质询。她在近两个小时的时间里对参议员们的问题避而不谈，即便是面对非常简单的问题也是如此。
Overton, a physician with a doctoral degree in clinical investigation, is currently the deputy assistant to the president for domestic policy. She previously worked at a conservative think tank and has taken a clear stance opposing abortion, raising obvious questions about her objectivity. The FDA is currently reviewing the safety of the abortion pill, mifepristone, despite extensive data showing it is extremely safe. 奥弗顿是一位拥有临床研究博士学位的医生，目前担任总统国内政策副助理。她此前曾在一家保守派智库工作，并对堕胎持明确反对立场，这引发了对其客观性的质疑。尽管现有大量数据表明堕胎药米非司酮（mifepristone）非常安全，但 FDA 目前正在对其安全性进行重新审查。
Overton also notably stood behind President Trump at a press conference in August during which Trump falsely called the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine “quite lethal.” He further claimed that vaccine doses for infants are “like the size of a soda bottle,” and called for the MMR vaccine to be split into three separate immunizations, despite no evidence of benefit from such a split and no such individual immunizations being available in the US. 值得注意的是，今年 8 月，特朗普在一次新闻发布会上错误地称麻疹、腮腺炎和风疹（MMR）疫苗“相当致命”时，奥弗顿就站在他身后。特朗普还声称婴儿接种的疫苗剂量“像汽水瓶那么大”，并呼吁将 MMR 疫苗拆分为三种独立的疫苗，尽管没有任何证据表明这种拆分有益，且美国目前也没有提供此类单一疫苗。
Vaccine contradictions
疫苗方面的矛盾
In the hearing, Overton directly contradicted Trump on several occasions, saying at various times that “the MMR vaccine is not lethal” and that “the MMR vaccine is safe and effective.” Still, when Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH), asked “Do you think it’s possible for the president to ever be wrong about something?” Overton dodged. 在听证会上，奥弗顿多次直接反驳了特朗普的说法，称“MMR 疫苗并不致命”且“MMR 疫苗是安全有效的”。然而，当新罕布什尔州民主党参议员玛吉·哈桑（Maggie Hassan）问她“你认为总统有可能在某件事上犯错吗？”时，奥弗顿选择了回避。
Instead of answering the question, she began spouting a non-answer that started with: “I’ve had the privilege of working for the president for over a year and a half and have had robust discussions with him.” Hassan cut her off, pressing: “Is it possible for him to be wrong?” But again, Overton was evasive. 她没有正面回答，而是开始了一段毫无意义的陈述，开头是：“我有幸为总统工作了一年半多，并与他进行过深入的讨论。”哈桑打断了她，追问道：“他有可能犯错吗？”但奥弗顿再次表现得闪烁其词。
Hassan asked her if she thought the MMR vaccine might be lethal. Again, Overton said it was safe and effective. “So,” Hassan asked,“was the president wrong when he suggested that the combined measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine may be lethal?” “Senator, the president asks questions and wants the best outcomes for the American people right now.” 哈桑问她是否认为 MMR 疫苗可能致命。奥弗顿再次表示它是安全有效的。哈桑追问：“那么，当总统暗示麻疹、腮腺炎和风疹联合疫苗可能致命时，他是错的吗？”奥弗顿回答：“参议员，总统提出问题是为了寻求美国人民当下的最佳结果。”
Hassan kept pressing, switching to Trump’s false claim that Tylenol taken during pregnancy is linked to autism in children. “Was he wrong when he said that? Yes or no?” Again, Overton didn’t answer, only saying “There is no current evidence of a causal link between Tylenol and autism.” 哈桑继续施压，转而提到特朗普关于“孕期服用泰诺（Tylenol）与儿童自闭症有关”的虚假说法。“他说这话时错了吗？是还是不是？”奥弗顿依然没有回答，只是说：“目前没有证据表明泰诺与自闭症之间存在因果关系。”
“I wish it wasn’t so difficult for members of the administration to just plainly say that the president’s wrong,” Hassan said. “And it’s really concerning to me that you are equivocating on it here.” “我真希望政府成员能坦率地承认总统错了，这并不难，”哈桑说，“你在这里含糊其辞，这让我非常担忧。”
Bad options
糟糕的选项
Sen. Lisa Blunt-Rochester (D-Del.) also asked about the vaccine claims Trump made in August, noting that reports suggested it was Overton herself who suggested to Trump that the combination vaccine could be split into multiple shots. Even if there was reason to think splitting the vaccine would improve safety and/or efficacy, it would take huge investments and years of trials to get the individual vaccines approved in the US. 特拉华州民主党参议员丽莎·布朗特-罗切斯特（Lisa Blunt-Rochester）也询问了特朗普 8 月份关于疫苗的言论，并指出有报道称，正是奥弗顿本人向特朗普建议将联合疫苗拆分为多次注射。即使有理由认为拆分疫苗能提高安全性和/或有效性，在美国批准这些单一疫苗也需要巨额投资和多年的试验。
“So obviously,” Blunt-Rochester asked, “you think these were good options, correct?” Overton replied that, in her current role, her job is to give Trump options. “You wouldn’t have provided bad options, right?” But Overton again wouldn’t answer Blunt-Rochester’s question. “显然，”布朗特-罗切斯特问道，“你认为这些是好的选项，对吧？”奥弗顿回答说，在她目前的职位上，她的工作是为特朗普提供选项。“你不会提供糟糕的选项，对吧？”但奥弗顿再次拒绝回答布朗特-罗切斯特的问题。
“This is just a simple question,” Blunt-Rochester interjected. “This, I thought, was the easy question.” Blunt-Rochester went on to ask Overton if she reviewed data about splitting the MMR vaccine or if current doses were the size of a soda bottle, but again she dodged the questions. “这只是一个简单的问题，”布朗特-罗切斯特插话道，“我以为这会是个容易回答的问题。”布朗特-罗切斯特随后询问奥弗顿是否查阅过关于拆分 MMR 疫苗的数据，或者目前的剂量是否真的像汽水瓶那么大，但奥弗顿再次回避了这些问题。
Flavored vapes
调味电子烟
The FDA has been without a commissioner since May, when Marty Makary resigned from the role after resisting Trump’s pressure to approve flavored vapes. The FDA issued a policy allowing their sale in early May, despite bipartisan opposition to the products, which are largely seen at being marketed to youth. 自 5 月马蒂·马卡里（Marty Makary）因抵制特朗普批准调味电子烟的压力而辞职以来，FDA 一直处于局长空缺状态。尽管两党都反对这些主要被视为针对青少年的产品，但 FDA 还是在 5 月初发布了允许其销售的政策。
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) laid out a timeline of how it happened, saying: On April 30th, it’s a Thursday afternoon, Reynolds, one of the biggest tobacco companies in the country, makes an $8 million donation to the president. Two days later on Saturday, because of that donation, they have lunch with the president and they tell him that they want a change in FDA rules, especially regarding flavored vapes. The president calls the FDA commissioner, he calls the secretary of [the health department], and three days later on Tuesday, new guidance is issued that paves the way to the sale of flavored vapes. 康涅狄格州民主党参议员克里斯·墨菲（Chris Murphy）列出了事件的时间线：4 月 30 日星期四下午，美国最大的烟草公司之一雷诺兹（Reynolds）向总统捐赠了 800 万美元。两天后的周六，因为这笔捐款，他们与总统共进午餐，并告诉他希望改变 FDA 的规则，特别是关于调味电子烟的规则。总统随后致电 FDA 局长和卫生部长，三天后的周二，新的指导方针发布，为调味电子烟的销售铺平了道路。
Murphy asked Overton if she saw a connection between the donation and the policy change, and if that’s how she thinks the FDA should work. “I reject the framing of that question,” Overton replied, adding that Trump is “committed to the best possible outcomes for American.” 墨菲询问奥弗顿是否认为这笔捐款与政策改变之间存在联系，以及她是否认为 FDA 应该这样运作。“我拒绝接受这种提问方式，”奥弗顿回答道，并补充说特朗普“致力于为美国人民寻求最佳结果”。
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va) pushed Overton on upcoming plans that the Trump administration has to further ease regulation of tobacco products, including fruity vapes. Kaine asked what Overton, a key domestic policy advisor, knew about the upcoming changes. But Overton would only say that she was “not involved in those discussions.” 弗吉尼亚州民主党参议员蒂姆·凯恩（Tim Kaine）就特朗普政府进一步放宽烟草产品（包括水果味电子烟）监管的计划向奥弗顿施压。凯恩询问作为关键国内政策顾问的奥弗顿对这些即将到来的变化了解多少。但奥弗顿只表示她“没有参与这些讨论”。
“Dr. Overton, now come on, don’t play games with me,” Kaine said. “I didn’t ask whether you were involved in them. I asked, are you aware … are you aware of discussions that is going on about whether the FDA will roll back tobacco safety regulations? And that’s an easy [question]. You’re either aware of them or you’re not.” “奥弗顿博士，别跟我玩文字游戏了，”凯恩说，“我没问你是否参与其中。我问的是，你是否知情……你是否知道关于 FDA 是否会撤销烟草安全法规的讨论？这是一个简单的问题。你要么知道，要么不知道。”
After again declining to answer the question, Kaine gave up, saying “Let the record reflect that the witness refused to answer the question. I yield.” 在再次拒绝回答该问题后，凯恩放弃了，他说：“请记录在案，证人拒绝回答这个问题。我发言完毕。”
“Pretty good job”
“干得相当不错”
On the topic of birth control and abortion, Overton was equally evasive, refusing to say whether she thinks IUDs (intrauterine devices) 在避孕和堕胎问题上，奥弗顿同样闪烁其词，拒绝回答她是否认为宫内节育器（IUD）……