WASHINGTON, Apr 17, 2008 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Lawmakers on both side of the
aisle say it appears the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is seriously
underfunded for next year.
Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis., and Sen. Robert F. Bennett, R-Utah, agreed that the FDA
needs a great deal more money than President George Bush is currently offering,
The New York Times reported Wednesday.
Kohl heads the Senate Appropriations subcommittee and Bennett is the ranking
minority member. "To us, it's clear that they're seriously underfunded," Kohl
said after a hearing of the subcommittee.
A report by outside FDA advisers last year said the agency lacked the money,
staff and scientific expertise to protect the U.S. public. The White House has
proposed a 3 percent budget increase to $1.8 billion next year but that is not
enough to cover increased costs, the newspaper said.
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