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Washington, D.C.—An amendment to a resolution approved last week by the full Senate would boost the fiscal year 2009 budget of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by an additional $71 million, providing critical funding to help the agency continue its mission of safeguarding public health, said the leader of the nation’s largest independent union of federal employees.

The amendment was offered on the Senate floor by Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) and when added to the committee’s resolution providing $2.1 billion in FY 2009 funds to the FDA—$304 million above the FY 2008 levels—brings the total budget increase to $375 million. This is the same increase for next fiscal year as recommended by the FDA Science Board.

“The Senate is now on record as standing together with consumer advocacy groups and the agency’s own employees and science board against the efforts of the White House to shortchange the security of the nation’s food and drug supply,” said President Colleen M. Kelley of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU). “This amendment and budget resolution shows that the Senate is concerned with providing the FDA the resources it needs to fulfill its vital role of protecting the health, safety and wellbeing of all Americans.”

Last year, several members of Congress expressed strong reservations about plans to reorganize and downsize FDA food and drug safety operations, despite the lack of evidence that the reorganization would help the agency become more productive. The approval of the fiscal 2008 omnibus appropriations bill in December included NTEU-supported language that prohibited the FDA from closing seven of the agency’s 13 regional field labs.

“Sen. Kennedy was one of the first members of Congress to oppose the proposed closure of FDA field laboratories last year and he helped lead our efforts in the Senate to successfully block what was an ill-advised plan,” President Kelley said. “NTEU was grateful for his support then and we are grateful for his support now in working to win a much-needed budget increase for the FDA.”

NTEU is the largest independent federal union, representing 150,000 employees in 31 agencies and departments, including more than 5,200 in the FDA.