Appropriations Bills Slow; Outcomes Uncertain

Jun 20

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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.

Appropriations Bills Slow; Outcomes Uncertain. House floor action on the FY 15 Agriculture/FDA appropriations has been delayed. Whether this is a matter of negotiating amendments prior to the floor or part of a bigger change in appropriations politics is unclear. In the Senate, the Agriculture/FDA bill has been merged into a $180 billion mini-bus with the Commerce-Justice-Science, Transportation appropriations bill and the Housing and Urban Development appropriations bills. As noted by Politico, “questions are arising over whether the Senate can complete work on the package because an agreement on amendments remains elusive.” The latest answer from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is that the Senate will not proceed next week, for lack of agreements. More on the evolving politics of appropriations is discussed in this week’s Analysis and Commentary.

Trying to See Clearly Through Some VERY Dark Glass