ENZI CALLS ON SENATE LEADERS TO NAME CONFEREES FOR CRITICAL DRUG SAFETY LEGISLATION

Washington D.C. – U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, R-WY, Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (HELP Committee), today sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) urging them to move forward on critical drug safety legislation. Enzi called on Senator Reid and Senator McConnell to appoint conferees to finalize S. 1082, the “Food and Drug Administration Revitalization Act.” “We must think carefully about our priorities for the limited time we have before the recess begins, and take strong action to give the FDA the resources and tools it needs to protect us,” Enzi wrote. “Appointing conferees now would send a powerful message that Congress is working as hard as FDA is to make these programs work.” S. 1082 renews user fee programs at FDA that fund the review of new drugs and medical devices. The programs expire in September. The bill also provides much- needed drug safety reform to help FDA ensure that drugs and devices Americans rely on are safe and effective. “As you know, this work period is nearly over,” Enzi wrote. “If the drug and device user fee programs are not renewed prior to the recess, FDA will have no choice but to send what is known as a ‘Reduction In Force’ or layoff notice to hundreds of FDA employees involved in these programs. These highly skilled and dedicated public servants are not likely to wait until Congress musters enough interest to act to maintain the user fee programs. They will find other jobs. A staff exodus would be a disaster for this agency, and for the public health it safeguards so zealously.”