FDA's FY 16 Budget Already on the Table

OMB, HHS, and FDA budget staff have to keep track of three fiscal years in order to function. Because they do, so must we.Specifically, FDA has to make sure that FY 14 funds are being spent wisely and in compliance with Congressional directives. Meantime, they are part of the FY 15 appropriations process, now mid-stage on Capitol Hill. Finally, the process within the Executive Branch has already begun for the FY 16 President’s Budget Request. That will be presented to Congress in January/February 2015 and cover the period starting October 1, 2015.With this in mind, the Alliance and a number of our members met this week with the OMB and HHS budget offices to make the case for increased FDA appropriations in FY 2016.OMB and the HHS budget office have not yet received FY 16 requests from agencies, which are due later in the year. Until then, they are mostly in macro-budgetary mode. That is, they are focused on how much money will be available in the aggregate and assessing the program impact of a federal budget that is stagnant, while the mandated cost of many programs is increasing. They are already alerting federal agencies that there will be no money available except for very selective initiatives.We were as much as told: when FDA’s request gets to HHS (usually September) and OMB (usually late October/early November), there is likely to be little or no additional monies for the FDA or anyone else in HHS.This year’s (FY 15) advocacy has been hurt by the low Administration request. We cannot let this happen again in FY 16. Through the rest of the summer and the fall, one of our major focuses will be moving the needle with the White House, OMB, HHS and anyone else in the Executive Branch who will listen. This will require the efforts of an even broader array of Alliance members. If the Alliance and the FDA stakeholders don’t fight for the agency, no one will.Have a happy Fourth. Back with you on July 11.Note: This additional Analysis and Commentary for Friday, June 27, 2014, was written by Steven Grossman, the deputy executive director of the Alliance for a Stronger FDA