Sen. Kohl fights for more FDA funding
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
FDA would receive $275 million additional funding this year to address import safety oversight, improve its information technology systems and implement new safety initiatives under an amendment Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis., chairman of the FDA appropriations subcommittee, added to the fiscal 2008 emergency war funding/supplemental appropriations bill passed by the House, H.R. 2764. The bill is slated for May 15 Senate Appropriations Committee markup. Of the total, $100 million is allocated to drug and medical device safety activities, $125 million will go to food safety activities and $40 million will be put towards modernizing FDA science and its workforce, issues considered at an April committee hearing ("The Tan Sheet," April 21, 2008, p. 5). Kohl said the additional funding would support efforts including opening two FDA offices overseas; implementing pediatric drug safety; and hiring 99 medical product safety inspectors...