Senate Finishes Consideration of DoD/Labor-HHS Mini-bus Funding Bill 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.

• Senate Finishes Consideration of DOD/Labor-HHS Mini-bus Funding Bill. The Senate debate on the combined DOD/Labor-HHS mini-bus (H.R. 6157) concluded this week with an 85-7 vote in favor of final passage. The House is expected to take up this legislation sometime after they arrive back in DC after Labor Day. While FDA funding is not in this legislation, the Alliance keeps an eye on it because FDA’s  priorities and workload may be impacted by Labor-HHS funding provisions that address biomedical research, opioid abuse, drug prices, and reimbursement, among others.

• August and Appropriations: An Unusual Year with an Unknown Outcome. In today’s Analysis and Commentary, Alliance deputy executive director, Steven Grossman, takes a more personal look at August in DC and what the Senate’s debate on DOD/L-HHS appropriations portends for FY 19 funding.

• CDER Director Woodcock Presenting to the Alliance on September 21. The Alliance is honored to be hosting Dr. Woodcock on Friday, September 21 at 9 a.m. at a location near Dupont Circle. Her remarks should be particularly pertinent given the Administration’s strong FY 19 funding request for medical product programs. If you would like to attend, RSVP to Samantha Beard. While we will have a room that accommodates a good-sized crowd, priority will be given to Alliance members and media.

• ICYMI: Why the Cures Programs are Likely to be Funded. Last week’s Analysis and Commentary explored the history of the 21st Century Cures legislation and how a number of its program requirements will be funded with monies that are neither budget authority (BA) appropriations nor user fees. The result: reasons to be optimistic that Cures will be funded for the next half-dozen years.