UPI: "Lawmakers Worry about FDA Funding" / News / Home

Lawmakers worry about FDA funding

Published: April 17, 2008 at 1:26 AM

WASHINGTON, April 17 (UPI) -- Lawmakers on both side of the aisle say it appears the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is seriously underfunded for next year.
Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis., and Sen. Robert F. Bennett, R-Utah, agreed that the FDA needs a great deal more money than President George Bush is currently offering, The New York Times reported Wednesday.
Kohl heads the Senate Appropriations subcommittee and Bennett is the ranking minority member. "To us, it's clear that they're seriously underfunded," Kohl said after a hearing of the subcommittee.
A report by outside FDA advisers last year said the agency lacked the money, staff and scientific expertise to protect the U.S. public. The White House has proposed a 3 percent budget increase to $1.8 billion next year but that is not enough to cover increased costs, the newspaper said.

© 2008 United Press International. All Rights Reserved.
This material may not be reproduced, redistributed, or manipulated in any form.

http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Science/2008/04/17/lawmakers_worry_about_fda_funding/5207/

Recent News

All News

Did You Know?

The FDA oversees 80 percent of the nation's food supply, but only recieves 20 percent of food safety funding?
HACCP (Harzard Analysis and Critical Control Point) was originally developed for NASA to ensure the safety of food for consumption in space?
The FDA's entire budget is actually less than the budget for the school system in Montgomory County, MD, where FDA resides?
Some in Congress would impose "User Fees" on Food Companies as a way to increase FDA's budget. Such "fees" are really just new taxes on food and would undoubtedly be passed through to the consumer by way of higher food prices.
Current customs law already requires the importers of finished, packaged products, seafood, and some bulk foods to include country of origin labeling on the package. Beginning in 2008, fresh fruits and vegetables imported into the U.S. will also need to display their country of origin.