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Washington, D.C. — A House appropriations subcommittee has proposed unacceptable and harmful cuts to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) budget for fiscal 2012, said the leader of the nation’s largest independent federal employees union.

“NTEU vehemently opposes these drastic and dangerous proposed cuts to the FDA budget,” said Colleen M. Kelley, president of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU). “The FDA is our nation’s pre-eminent public health agency, assuring that our food supply is protected and that drugs, vaccines and medical devices are safe and effective. Without proper resources, there is no safety net for the American people. There is no back up for the FDA.”

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies has offered a $285 million cut, which would slash the FDA’s discretionary budget by 11.6 percent. It is $572 million less than the president’s request.

“The subcommittee’s proposal would be devastating to the FDA’s ability to protect the American consumer,” Kelley said. “Products will go untested, opportunities for medical advances will be lost, and the American public will have less confidence with every bite they eat, every pill they take, every pet or farm animal they feed, and every X-ray machine they use.”

As the agency has been chronically underfunded for years, Kelley has long advocated for adequate funding and resources at the FDA so that agency employees can accomplish their important missions. Additionally, NTEU has consistently worked with an array of groups interested in public health and food safety issues.

NTEU represents more than 150,000 employees in 31 agencies and departments, including more than 5,000 in the FDA.