Advocacy at a Glance

CR/Shutdown Countdown: One Week to Go. Not much has changed from last week. House-Senate conferees are hoping to have a deal in place by Monday, February 11, or sooner. What happens next is the topic of the FAQs in this week’s Analysis and Commentary, along with a question about the overlap of two funding cycles (FY 19 and FY 20).Commissioner Gottlieb to Testify in Front of House Ag/FDA Appropriations Subcommittee. Dr. Gottlieb will be the sole witness at the hearing, which is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on February 12 in 2358-A Rayburn. The topic is “FDA -- Status of Operations.” The hearing will be livestreamed here.Feb. 13 Meetings with Appropriators to Talk About FY 20. As we previously announced, on February 13, the Alliance will be meeting with personal staff of members on the House and Senate Ag/FDA Appropriations subcommittees. We already have a good group of people signed up, but can use a few more. If you are available to help for a half day, RSVP to Samantha Beard and tell her whether you are available in the morning or the afternoon.Annual Alliance Lobby Day -- Mark Your Calendars -- March 19. On Tuesday, March 19, 2019, the Alliance will storm the Hill for our Annual Lobby Day. Hold the date and we will be asking for RSVPs in a couple of weeks. Unlike the more focused lobbying on February 13, on Lobby Day we strive for the largest number of participants who can help educate Congress about the mission of FDA and the importance of it being well-funded.Things You Didn’t Know About FDA.  In response to a question about drug inspections, Dr. Gottlieb  tweeted that the number is going up. The chart appended to his tweet shows how the numbers have changed and the increases from FY 13 to FY 17 .