FDA bonuses rise
Executive Summary
FDA bonuses exceeding $4,000 increased by an estimated $8 million in 2007 over 2006 figures, according to data released by the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The agency's highest-paid officials received many of the retention bonuses, which totaled $35 million last year. "These back-scratching bonuses could be used to hire inspectors that might have gone to China and uncovered the unsafe manufacturing practices that led to the heparin deaths," said Committee Chair John Dingell, D-Mich. Such outcries, which also followed the announcement of FDA bonus figures last year, are drawing more scrutiny as the agency calls for additional funds to keep pace with scientific advancements (1"The Pink Sheet," July 23, 2007, In Brief)