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The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee advanced Robert Califf’s nomination to be commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration in a 13-8 vote Thursday. “As our nation continues to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, the scientists and experts at the Food and Drug Administration who are working diligently to ensure we have safe and effective vaccines, tests, treatments, and more, deserve a strong leader who will make sure science always comes first,” Chair Patty Murray, D-Wash., said in a statement. Califf had the top job at the FDA for one year in 2016, under the Obama administration, and was confirmed then in a bipartisan 89-4 vote. But in a more polarized Washington and with unprecedented scrutiny on the FDA, he faced a tense job interview with the committee on Dec. 14. (Kopp, 1/13)

Two senators who caucus with Democrats — Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) — opposed the nomination. Six Republicans — Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Mike Braun of Indiana, Roger Marshall of Kansas, Tim Scott of South Carolina, Tommy Tuberville of Alabama and Jerry Moran of Kansas — joined them in opposition. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) did not vote. President Joe Biden nominated Califf to run the FDA in October, ending a lengthy search for a commissioner that took up much of the first year of his term. (Gardner, 1/13)

Republican Sen. Roger Marshall (Kan.) plans to introduce the “Fauci Act” after he clashed with infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci at a Senate hearing this week. Marshall will be introducing the Financial Accountability for Uniquely Compensated Individuals (FAUCI) Act after he said Fauci’s records were not readily accessible to the public, a spokesperson for the senator told The Hill. (Lonas, 1/13)

Millions of families this weekend will stop receiving monthly child tax payments for the first time in months after Congress failed to pass an extension of the expanded credit. As lawmakers struggle to revive talks to renew the expansion, more than 30 million families that have been receiving the monthly payments since last July will not see another round on Jan. 15. Democrats temporarily expanded the child tax credit in early 2021 as part of a sweeping coronavirus relief package enacted under President Biden. (Folley, 1/13)

Democrats are quietly preparing for life after Build Back Better. With little progress on Joe Biden’s signature legislation, elected officials and operatives from across the president’s party are busy plotting how to run midterm campaigns without the benefit of a bill to bolster the social safety net and make generational investments to address climate change. (Cadelago, 1/14)

Leaders in Congress finally began cross-party talks Thursday on a possible $1.4 trillion accord that would keep the federal government open through the fall, with five weeks to go until cash runs out again. (Scholtes and Levin, 1/13)