Advocacy at a Glance

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.

• Senate Starts, Doesn’t Finish, Mini-bus Including Ag/FDA. When the House sent over the FY 19 Interior/Financial Services and General Government mini-bus appropriations bill, the Senate decided to add Ag/FDA and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) appropriations, creating a 4-bill mini-bus. This bill was considered on the Senate floor this week and a final vote is expected early next week. Disagreements over funding of election security grants and a land and water conservation fund are reportedly delaying final action (i.e. not Ag or FDA issues).

Despite a likely Senate vote next week and 8 weeks until the fiscal year ends, it has become somewhat less likely that FDA appropriations will be completed before October 1. This is explored in this week’s Analysis and Commentary.

• House in Recess; Senate Will Work Most of August. The House recessed at the end of this week and is not expected to return to DC until September 4. The Senate is working until August 3 and then will take the following week off. The Senate will re-convene on August 13 and work for the remaining three weeks of August, although no precise legislative schedule has been set. While these are the current plans for the House and Senate, things can always change.

• Dr. Woodcock to Address Alliance Meeting on August 14. Dr. Janet Woodcock, Director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), will be speaking to the Alliance and taking questions at a meeting to be held in DC at 1:00 p.m. on August 14. The Alliance has previously covered (see here and here) some of the exciting new CDER initiatives she will be discussing at the meeting. If you would like to attend, please RSVP by e-mail to Carrie Morgan. While we will have a room that will accommodate a good-sized crowd, priority will be given to Alliance members and media.

• FDA Launches New Recruitment and Retention Initiative. According to Dickinson's FDA Webview,

FDA is launching a new public campaign focused on "recruiting skilled and dedicated employees who want to help FDA advance its public health mission." The campaign includes print ads at rail stations, in rail cars, and on buses in the DC area. The campaign uses a new graphic and slogan -- "You want to make a difference. FDA wants to hire you." The agency says the graphic and slogan will now be the unified brand for all recruitment materials. The effort also includes increased social media exposure.