Senate Passes FY 19 Ag/FDA Funding as Part of 4-bill Mini-bus
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.
Woodcock Presentation Rescheduled from August 14 to September 21. Due to a change in Dr. Woodcock’s schedule, her presentation to the Alliance has been moved to Friday, September 21 at 9 a.m. We will have more details in the next Advocacy at a Glance. If you would like to attend, RSVP to Carrie Morgan. While we will have a room that accommodates a good-sized crowd, priority will be given to Alliance members and media.
Senate Passes FY 19 Ag/FDA Funding as Part of 4-bill Mini-bus. 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 over the last week and a final vote occurred on Wednesday, August 1. Given that the House has not yet moved the Ag/FDA and THUD bills, the House may agree with this four-bill mini-bus, but hold onto the positions taken in their committee-passed versions.
The final text of the Senate-passed bill will not be available for several days (maybe longer), while all the amendments are compiled and integrated into the bill text. However, we can report that FDA funding -- with one exception -- is the same as the committee-passed version. One amendment was accepted that related to agency funding -- directing $15 million of proposed CFSAN funding be spent on imported seafood inspections. This week’s Analysis and Commentary answers the question: what provisions were in the Senate committee-passed bill that have now been adopted by the full Senate?
Senate Joins House in Recess; Will Return August 15. The Senate recessed Wednesday night and thereby extended its brief recess break to 2 weeks. They will reconvene on Wednesday, August 15, with the first vote scheduled late in the day. Having successfully moved two mini-bus appropriations bills, covering seven subcommittees, the Senate’s priority for August will be to pass a third, covering all of defense spending, as well as the Labor/HHS appropriations bill. If successful, the Senate will have passed nine of the 12 funding packages. The fate of State/Foreign Operations and Commerce/Justice/Science are unclear. Homeland Security is likely to be funded by CR and taken up on after the mid-term election. That bill will the vehicle for resolving disagreements over border security and the wall.
Next Friday Update Will Be August 17. We will not be publishing next Friday (August 10), but will be back with more news and commentary the following Friday, August 17.