Budget authority for use in the FDA’s food programs was requested at $903 million, up $20 million, or 2 percent, from $883 million in fiscal 2014 and compared with $797 million during the sequester-reduced fiscal 2013. It should be noted Congress approved $46 million in supplemental funding for food and drug safety in fiscal 2013, which took much of the sting out of the sequester for those programs.
The Alliance for a Stronger FDA expressed disappointment with the small overall increase sought for the agency in the president’s budget.
“The budget proposal would actually weaken the FDA in certain areas, which we think the American people will regard as unacceptable,” said Kasey Thompson, president of the alliance and vice-president, office of policy, planning and communications at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.
“FDA’s funding has to be increased further, well above the fiscal year 2014 level, to reflect the agency’s vast public health responsibilities and continually increasing workload,” Thompson said. “If the FDA does not have the resources to fulfill the mission, there is no other federal, state or private agency that provides a fallback.”
