Have you signed up for FDA Funding Lobby Day and more

Mar 14

Written By

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.

Alliance for a Stronger Announces FY 15 “Ask:” A $2.784 Billion Appropriation for FDA. In a press release issued this Thursday, the Alliance requested FDA appropriated funding that is $200 million above the President’s request and $223 million above FY 14 appropriated spending. The Alliance’s goal — through direct advocacy to Congress, other education and written testimony — will be to assure that appropriators know the Alliance’s “ask” and understand why the funding is needed. In this week’s Analysis and Commentary, we provide further discussion of why the President’s request is inadequate, summed up by the statement: “the President’s FY 15 budget request will leave FDA programs with more responsibility and less money than it had in FY 14.”

Have you signed up for FDA Funding Lobby Day? It’s next week -- Wednesday, March 19th -- and we need your help! Please set aside the day (or part of it), and join us in spreading the important message of FDA funding. Please e-mail Tony Curry, so that we can assign you to a team and appointments that fit your availability.

FY15 Process is Moving Fast. The Alliance spent the day on the Hill yesterday, and one thing we have to report is that appropriators are preparing to move quickly to pass appropriations bills. Agriculture/FDA Appropriations is one of the bills that is expected to move early, and there is speculation that the House may try to take the Ag/FDA Appropriations bill to the House Floor by Memorial Day. No official date has been set for the House Ag/FDA Appropriations Hearing on FDA, but the Alliance is hearing it may be scheduled as early as March 27 -- we will update you once it is officially scheduled.

Written Testimony Due in the House and Senate. Those organizations wanting to submit testimony on FDA appropriations are reminded that the deadline for the House agriculture/FDA appropriations subcommittee is March 20. The deadline for the Senate agriculture/FDA subcommittee is April 4. Both subcommittees have provided guidelines and strict 5-page limits on submissions.

Tick Tock: Programmatic Request Form Deadlines Loom. As many of you know, one key part of the appropriations process is to submit formal requests to the offices of appropriators asking that they submit requests to the Sub-Committee Chairman on behalf of FDA. Each office sets their own deadline. Today, is the deadline for Representative Rooney (R, FL). Additional upcoming deadlines: Alan Nunnelee (R, MS), March 17; David Valadao (R, CA), March 17; Jeff Fortenberry, (R, NE); March 21; Rosa DeLauro (D, CT), March 20. While the Alliance submits requests on behalf of the Alliance as a whole, we encourage our members to make requests, as well. The more voices these offices hear from the better.

"Please Congress, We Want Some More!"