Biden’s Budget Seeks Bigger Investments And Expanded Authority For FDA

June 2, 2021 by Daniel Mollenkamp
Biden’s Budget Seeks Bigger Investments And Expanded Authority For FDA
Members of the press heading into the West Wing of the White House for a briefing. (Photo by Dan McCue)

WASHINGTON- The Biden Administration’s 2022 budget, released at the end of last week, seeks significant spending increases for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 

The fiscal year 2022 budget request sets out $6.5 billion for the FDA, an increase of almost 8% ($477 million) over last year, which the agency says will modernize public health efforts and help to confront public health issues like the opioid crisis.

It also included a series of legislative proposals to expand the agency’s authority, which the agency has said “complement” the increased investments.

The expenditures follow the trend of Biden’s budget, the first of his presidency, which outlines $6 trillion in federal spending. 

Analysts have commented, since the partial requests were released earlier this year, that the administration is embracing a substantial expansion of the federal government’s spending powers, as part of a larger vision that believes the federal government needs to play an active role in addressing the pressing issues in front of the country. Several articles in Vox, for instance, described the increases in non-defense discretionary funding as a clear break with austerity politics and budget caps, and an embrace of “big government.” 

The FDA has said of the increases, in both authority and investments in the agency, that they will improve the readiness of the American public health system to handle the next public health crisis, as well as making vital “infrastructure investments” for modernization, safety inspection programs, health equity for minorities, and to address the opioid crisis.

Included among the funding laid out in the budget request is $185 million in new infrastructure investments, which the FDA has said will help with data modernization, to update and expand its laboratories, and improve its federal buildings.

The data modernization proposal follows up on the agency’s “Data Modernization Action Plan,” released earlier in the year, which described the agency’s intention to update its systems for the digital world. 

Much of the agency’s data systems, the plan said, are still geared towards “non-digital, document-based” data, creating what the agency described as an urgent need for updating.

An additional $97 million will serve to invest in core food and medical safety programs, the agency said. 

According to the agency, this funding will cover food safety investments, aimed at reducing the number of illnesses caused by FDA-regulated foods, as well as programs designed for maternal and infant nutrition and animal food and drug safety. It also includes investments to strengthen and monitor the drug supply chain, the agency said in a written comment.

Another $61 million in investments was set aside for the agency’s capacity to deal with public health issues facing the U.S. 

It will improve the agency’s ability to tackle the opioid crisis, for instance, by supporting “smarter enforcement” and aiding the development of new therapies, the FDA said.

The request includes provisions to expand the FDA’s authority to keep counterfeit drugs and medical devices out of the U.S. and to require shortage notifications from manufacturers of infant formula, among other things.

The FDA is also asking for authorization to require drug sponsors to establish the “longest possible” expiration date in order to prevent possible drug shortages in the future. It also asks for clarification from Congress about its authority to assess pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity.

As noted above, the Biden administration’s budget had other notable infrastructure increases for federal agencies as well.

For instance, it requested $58.5 billion for the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development to “support the president’s vision of restoring America’s leadership around the globe.”

USAID has previously praised the administration for reversing the trend of the previous four years in increasing foreign assistance funding.

“Where we choose to invest speaks to what we value as a nation. This year’s budget, the first of my presidency, is a statement of values that define our nation at its best,” President Joe Biden said in a prepared comment to Congress where the bill is expected to face legislative pushback from Republicans.

“We look forward to continuing to work with Congress to ensure the FDA has the resources it needs to carry out our vital mission to protect and promote public health,” Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock said.

A+
a-
  • Federal budget
  • Food and Drug Administration
  • Joe Biden
  • White House
  • In The News

    Health

    Voting

    Federal Budget

    Senate Passes $1.2T Funding Package in Early Morning Vote

    WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate passed a $1.2 trillion package of spending bills in the early morning hours Saturday, a long overdue... Read More

    WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate passed a $1.2 trillion package of spending bills in the early morning hours Saturday, a long overdue action nearly six months into the budget year that will push any threats of a government shutdown to the fall. The bill now goes to President... Read More

    March 21, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    $1.2T Spending Plan Unveiled Ahead of Saturday Shutdown Deadline

    WASHINGTON — House and Senate leaders released an over-$1.2 trillion, six-bill appropriations package early Thursday morning, giving lawmakers less than... Read More

    WASHINGTON — House and Senate leaders released an over-$1.2 trillion, six-bill appropriations package early Thursday morning, giving lawmakers less than 48 hours to pass it ahead of the midnight Friday deadline to avoid a partial government shutdown. The 1,012-page package, which was released just before 3... Read More

    House Tees Up Vote to Keep Money Flowing to Several Key Federal Agencies

    WASHINGTON (AP) — The House is expected to vote to keep money flowing to scores of federal agencies before a... Read More

    WASHINGTON (AP) — The House is expected to vote to keep money flowing to scores of federal agencies before a midnight Friday shutdown deadline even as many members of the Republican conference are expected to vote against it. The first package of six bills expected to... Read More

    March 1, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    Senate Approves Stopgap Spending Extension, Averting Shutdown

    WASHINGTON — The Senate on Thursday night voted in favor of a “laddered” proposal from the House to extend funding... Read More

    WASHINGTON — The Senate on Thursday night voted in favor of a “laddered” proposal from the House to extend funding for some federal departments and agencies through March 8 and the rest through March 22. The 77-13 vote, which came just hours after the Republican-led House... Read More

    February 29, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    House Passes Short-Term Spending Bill to Avert Shutdown

    WASHINGTON — The House on Thursday overwhelmingly approved a two-tiered short-term spending bill to avert a partial government shutdown this... Read More

    WASHINGTON — The House on Thursday overwhelmingly approved a two-tiered short-term spending bill to avert a partial government shutdown this weekend. The measure now moves to the Senate, where Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has said it could pass as soon as tonight. House Speaker Mike... Read More

    February 23, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    Government Begins Preparing for Partial Shutdown

    WASHINGTON — Federal agencies got their first concrete indication the threat of a looming government shutdown is getting serious on... Read More

    WASHINGTON — Federal agencies got their first concrete indication the threat of a looming government shutdown is getting serious on Friday, as the White House Office of Management and Budget began circulating its guidance to those who will be impacted if lawmakers fail to reach a... Read More

    News From The Well
    scroll top