Home Media Center News Releases

Washington, D.C. –The White House proposal for additional funding for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is particularly important and necessary in light of substantial new responsibilities for this key agency, the head of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) said today.

The administration’s proposal would permit this chronically-underfunded but crucial agency to add as many as 1,000 new positions.

“NTEU applauds the call for new resources,” President Kelley said. “We know that FDA is sorely lacking in the personnel and funding it needs to do its job.” Among other tasks, the FDA is responsible for ensuring the safety of foods, and medicines, as well as the efficacy of medical devices. Its areas of responsibility extend to items making up 25 cents out of every consumer dollar spent in America. Its new duties include regulating tobacco products.

While applauding the proposed increase from $2.5 billion in appropriated funds for fiscal 2012 to a total of $4.49 billion in the coming fiscal year, the NTEU leader noted that all of the increase would come from user fees paid by various industries it regulates. Such fees would need to be approved by Congress. Kelley said NTEU would work with members of Congress to ensure that FDA has the resources it needs, regardless of the funding source.

According to the White House budget documents, the new resources would be used, among other things, to reduce review times of generic medicines, support inspection-related activities at domestic courier facilities and re-inspections at medical product facilities.

NTEU is the nation’s largest independent union of federal employees, representing 150,000 employees in 31 agencies and departments.