Dr. Scott Gottlieb testifies before a Senate Health Education Labor and Pension Committee confirmation hearing on his nomination to be commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S. April 5, 2017. REUTERS/Aaron P. Bernstein

(Reuters) - A U.S. Senate committee voted on Thursday to advance the nomination of Dr. Scott Gottlieb to lead the Food and Drug Administration.

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee voted 14-9 in favor of Gottlieb, a physician, conservative health policy expert and a deputy FDA commissioner during the George W. Bush administration.

The vote means Gottlieb’s nomination will now be voted on by the full Senate, where he is expected to be confirmed.