Another Busy Week in the District

ADVOCACY

• Hill Meetings.  The Alliance met with the offices of members of the Agriculture Appropriations subcommittees this week. Next week the Alliance will continue its outreach to members on the subcommittees focusing particularly on the Senate side.

• President’s FY12 Proposal.  The President will make his budget proposal on Monday for Fiscal Year 2012.

• FY 11 Continuing Resolution.  We are waiting for the House proposal of the FY11 Continuing Resolution.  As many of you have seen, we are anticipating further proposed cuts by the House Appropriations Committee.  On Tuesday, the House is expected to begin floor consideration of the Continuing Resolution.

• Quarterly Member Meeting Recap. This week the Alliance was privileged to hear from two distinguished FDA senior officials who spoke at the Alliance quarterly membership meeting, Mike Taylor, Deputy Commissioner for Foods and Jesse Goodman, Chief Scientist and Deputy Commissioner for Science & Public Health.  Both Deputy Commissioners talked about some of the challenges and opportunities FDA has before it and how resources are effecting its ability to perform its expanding public health mission.

• Wall Street Journal Op-ed Highlights Need for Increased FDA Resources.  An op–ed by Michael Milken in Tuesday’s Wall Street Journal,  “Health-care investment -- the hidden crisis,” underscores the importance of adequate funding for FDA.  In the piece, a continued investment in FDA is cited as a key component for improving America’s public health, national productivity, competiveness and innovation.  Mr. Milken is Chairman of the FasterCures organization, a member of the Alliance for a Stronger FDA.

ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARY

We are anticipating the House Appropriation’s Committee to release its Continuing Resolution sometime this evening.  Because this is likely to be a significant development, we will send out the Analysis and Commentary Section out separately, once we have the Continuing Resolution.

RELEVANT MEDIA/DOCUMENTS

• First things first: Fix the FDA, by Newt Gingrich, Andrew C. von Eschenbach and Wayne Oliver
• House GOP looks for deeper budget cuts
• House Republicans battle turmoil in their ranks
• Dingell demands Congress fund new food safety law
• Obama readies fiscal 2012 budget blueprint
• Crossing Over the Valley of Death (FasterCures White Paper)