House Republican Argues Against FDA Budget Increase

During a House hearing on the FDA’s 2024 budget request, a Republican subcommittee chair said he was not too pleased with the idea of a $7.2 billion budget — an 8% increase over the 2023 enacted agency budget.

The $522 million increase includes $372 million in new budget authorities coupled with $150 million for new user fees.

Rep. Andy Harris, MD (R-Md.), chair of the Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration, Rural Development, and Related Agencies subcommittee, also pointed out that while the FDA’s budget authority has grown by 25% since 2018, oversight and monitoring of the agency’s resources have been lax.

“I intend to look deeper into how all existing resources are being used,” Harris said, especially given the structural overhaul of the agency’s food program. (In January, Califf announced that a new human food program would be established and would be overseen by a deputy commissioner, who would oversee 80% of the U.S. food supply, according to PBS.)

“As I stated last year, I believe that many of the problems faced in the FDA can be solved through strong leadership and not necessarily with more money, and I stand by that statement,” he added.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), ranking member of the full committee, noted that she’s been an advocate for creating a “single food agency” under the HHS umbrella for years, and saw the restructuring plan as a “step in the right direction.”

While some House Republicans’ proposals have suggested returning the agency’s spending to FY 2022 levels, doing so would be “detrimental” to all of the services the FDA provides, she added. “They would force a reduction in foreign and domestic inspections, impair the FDA labs’ ability to find the cause of foodborne illnesses, and devastate the workforce.”