Will FSMA Make a Difference 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.

• McCarthy Withdraws, Putting House in Disarray. Yesterday’s surprise announcement by House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy that he isn’t running for speaker has left the body without any idea of who will be the next Speaker. For perspectives on how House Republican feuding diminishes the chances for a budget deal, see this week’s Analysis and Commentary.

• Will FSMA Make a Difference? Dr. David Acheson, former top FDA food official and Alliance member, answers this question in an article in Food Safety News. For those particularly interested in an historical perspective, this is a must-read, as he turns the clock back 10 years to explain the circumstances that led to the Food Safety Modernization Act.

• Senate Cures Counterpart Bill Must Have NIH and FDA Funding According to Senator Murray. Inside Health Policy/FDA Week reports that Senate HELP Committee’s ranking minority member, Senator Patty Murray, is insisting that increased FDA and NIH funding must be part of the Senate’s Innovation bill (counterpart to House Cures). Where the money is to come from is unclear or even whether there is sufficient support for Murray’s position. However, as a statement of position, it is favorable to FDA’s funding needs. Meantime, Senate staff are saying a circulation draft of the Innovations bill will be released for review sometime the fall. However, they are hoping for release by the end of October. We have also been told that the funding issue is likely to be one of the last to be tackled.