Two-Month Reprieve on Sequestration and more
Advocacy at a Glance offers you the bullet point summary of current advocacy issues associated with the goals of the Alliance for a Stronger FDA.
Two-Month Reprieve on Sequestration. The fiscal cliff legislation is really a "tax deal," and kicks the spending issues down the road. The sequester has been delayed for a very short timeframe -- 2 months. With the government likely reaching the debt ceiling at some point in the first quarter of this year, it is clear Republicans plan to use the debt ceiling as an additional vehicle for the spending debate.
Don’t Forget the Annual Appropriations Process. In addition to big picture fiscal issues, the President will be releasing his FY14 budget proposal in February. Also, the Continuing Resolution for FY13 expires on March 31 and we will want to see that replaced by an omnibus appropriations bill that might be more FDA-friendly.
New Chairman of the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee -- Representative Robert Aderholt of Alabama. Representative Robert Aderholt (R-AL) has been named Chairman of Agriculture Subcommittee for the House Committee on Appropriations, the subcommittee with jurisdiction over the Food & Drug Administration’s budget. To view Representative Aderholt’s statement on being named Chairman please click here.
FDA Needs More Resources to Fulfill its Growing Food Safety Responsibilities. FDA released two new rules implementing the Food Safety and Modernization Act (FSMA) on Friday, January 4. From a resource perspective, one thing we will be keeping an eye out for is a FSMA-required report from FDA to Congress that is expected this month and that should detail the resources needed to implement provisions of the act.
2013 Quarterly Membership Meeting Schedule. Below please find the dates and times for the Alliance’s 2013 Quarterly Membership meetings:
Tuesday, February 5th at 2:00 p.m.
Tuesday, April 30th at 2:00 p.m.
Tuesday, July 30th at 2:00 p.m.
Tuesday, November 5th at 2:00 p.m.