During an April 13 subcommittee markup of the fiscal year (FY) 2017 Agriculture spending bill, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) criticized certain policy provisions, also known as riders, attached to the bill, which provides funding for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
“I am deeply troubled by some of the bill and report language that has been included which would completely undermine our regulatory agencies’ ability to do their jobs,” she said.
Rep. DeLauro said she was “really concerned to see inclusion of language that tries to delay FDA’s ability to finalize guidance on laboratory developed tests," calling it the "wild west" and "currently unregulated.”
“To further delay FDA’s guidance could be a matter of life and death,” she warned, adding, ‘Given the momentum we have on precision medicine it is now even more important to finalize guidance.”
Rep. DeLauro also said, “It is really appalling to see certain provisions of the 21st Century Cures Act included in the bill. We should not enact new legislation on appropriations bills.”
The bill approved by the subcommittee provides a total of $2.7 billion in discretionary funding for the FDA, an increase of $33 million over the FY 2016 enacted level. Total funding for the FDA, including revenue from user fees, is $4.78 billion, which is $97.4 million above FY 2016.
The bill provides $10 million in funding through the FDA to combat Zika and Ebola outbreaks by helping to fund ongoing response activities, and to expedite the development and availability of medical products to fight the viruses.