Murray Statement on FDA User Fee Negotiations

Earlier this year, in a bipartisan vote, the HELP Committee passed a comprehensive reauthorization bill Senator Murray negotiated with Senator Burr

Washington, D.C. – Today, Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chair Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) released the following statement on negotiations to reauthorize the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) user fee programs, which expire this year.

“Senator Burr and I have spent months negotiating bipartisan policies that will keep families safe, support innovation, bring down drug prices, and much, much more. People want us to get this done—all of it. I have heard from so many patients back in Washington who wish they could save money by safely importing drugs they need from Canada. I’ve heard from people worried about whether the cosmetic products they purchase or the dietary supplements they entrust their health to are safe and effective. And I know we have all heard from parents frustrated and worried by the infant formula shortage.

“That’s why I worked so hard to negotiate a comprehensive user fee reauthorization bill with Senator Burr that addresses these challenges and more. The bipartisan bill that I introduced with Senator Burr just weeks ago—and which advanced out of our committee in a bipartisan way—made meaningful progress on all of these issues. It is a strong, bipartisan bill that will make sure FDA has the tools and resources it needs to fulfill its mission and keep families safe and healthy, and that we have the accountability we need to know FDA is living up to that critical responsibility.

“Pink slips are unacceptable to me, and they should be unacceptable to all of us—that is why it makes absolutely no sense to back out of bipartisan negotiations now. The fastest way to get this done is to move forward with the comprehensive bipartisan bill we have already advanced out of committee, and which includes so many desperately needed, long overdue, and bipartisan policies. I urge Senator Burr to return to the table, and finish what he started.”

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