Please Sign On to Support Alliance Advocacy

While Alliance members should receive the following sign-on letter directly, we are reprinting it here. Even if you are not an Alliance member, we would welcome your adding your organization’s name to our letter.To sign on, please e-mail Eden. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to contact Ladd or Steven).

FOR SIGN-ON BY FDA STAKEHOLDER ORGANIZATIONS:

Dear Chairmen Frelinghuysen, Shelby, Aderholt, and Hoeven, and Ranking Members Lowey, Leahy, Bishop, and Merkley:The Alliance for a Stronger FDA thanks the House and Senate Appropriations Committees for their positive response to the FY 19 budget request for the Food and Drug Administration.  Improving the resources of the FDA will have a meaningful impact on all Americans, both in FY 19 and the years to come.The Alliance wants to ensure an FDA that is sized and modernized to meet its mandate in the 21st Century. The FDA oversees products that represent 20% of consumer spending in the US and affect every American multiple times each day. Its responsibilities are global in scope and form the backbone of the world’s economy. And it does all of that at a cost to each American of $9.00 per year.The FDA needs sufficient resources to meet its existing responsibilities, prepare for the wave of new science in medicine and food, combat the opioid epidemic, and assure U.S. defensive ability against bioterrorism. Those who know the agency best -- particularly regulatory professionals -- are well aware that it needs more resources to do its job properly. When the FDA is strong, America benefits.It is the joint position of the co-signing organizations that the work done by FDA should be treated as a high priority, and that these efforts are deserving of the discretionary funding within your jurisdiction.As you know, the Alliance for a Stronger FDA includes members from patient organizations, consumer groups, and regulated industries. Some members might disagree on the specifics of how appropriations for the FDA should be spent, but we strongly agree that the FDA needs to have appropriations that enable the agency to do its job to protect the public health and ensure that the agency is working efficiently and effectively as it reviews products and implements regulatory policies.In this appropriations cycle, House appropriators have recommended $150 million more than the Senate. We support the higher levels of the House version, as well as the Senate’s proposals for certain accounts -- including critical funding for food safety that was not in the House bill and larger increases in monies for generic drugs and combating opioid abuse.We respectfully urge you to provide robust funding that includes the higher funding levels that are proposed in the House and Senate bills and ensure that the FDA has the flexibility to use appropriations wisely.  We also strongly believe that FDA needs the physical capacity to undertake its many important tasks, and therefore urge you to adopt the House level of funding provided for White Oak expansion.We look forward to working with you as you complete the FY 2019 appropriations process and stand ready to provide any additional information you need in support of our requests.Sincerely,[names of groups]