Statement of the Hon. Rosa L. DeLauro on Budgets for FDA and USDA

Statement of the Hon. Rosa L. DeLauro on Budgets for FDA and USDA

Friday, February 17, 2006 at 9:05 AM

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro issued the following statements on the Fiscal Year 2007 budget proposals for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) sent to Congress earlier this week. DeLauro is ranking member of the House Appropriations Agriculture subcommittee, which has jurisdiction and oversight responsibilities of USDA and FDA.

FDA Budget: "Investment in avian flu/drug safety comes at critical time."

"At a time when our country is facing so many health challenges at home and abroad, I am encouraged that the FDA is seeking additional funding to increase preparedness and bolster drug safety. Right now, America faces an international threat with the avian flu claiming more and more lives overseas. And after several high-profile failures such as the Vioxx fiasco, the FDA seems to finally understand that it must increase oversight of prescription drugs. For those reasons alone, this funding could not come at a more critical time, however, I see it as just a start - in the coming months we will need to do more.

"And I remain concerned that the agency plans reductions in funding for inspections of animal feed manufacturers. As we move forward in early detection of diseases like bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), this cut in inspections appears to signal that these diseases are less of a threat than they are. Following the recent Canadian discovery of BSE, we should do everything possible to ensure that oversight of animal feed increase, not decrease. The security and integrity of our food supply is at stake."

USDA Budget: "Reverses progress made in Farm Bill."

"After years of decline, America's farmers have finally begun to recover with aid provided by the Farm Bill. That is why the president's budget proposal makes so little sense, reversing so much of the progress we made. Again proposing a 5 percent across-the-board cut to crop and dairy payments for producers, these cuts are clearly misguided and will prove devastating to countless communities in rural America if enacted.

"The Administration again proposes to consolidate various economic development programs at the Commerce Department, including USDA's rural business enterprise and opportunity programs and the rural EZ/EC program. When the USDA has field offices in rural America, I question the reasoning of turning these programs over to the Commerce Department - an agency that lacks the infrastructure in rural communities. The budget also decreases funding for water and waste grants by $91.8 million, a cut of 20.9%. It eliminates funding for distance learning and telemedicine direct loans. Additionally, the budget eliminates the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, leaving hundreds of thousands of poor seniors, women and children vulnerable.

"I am particularly concerned that the president's budget reduces by half grants under the Rural Conservation and Development (RC&D) program, endangering the 550 businesses created and 1,500 businesses expanded in 2004. And it means that the 6,000 jobs created, the 5,200 miles of streams and 3.1 million acres of wildlife habitat improved could be put at risk - all at a time when rural America is battling drought, the ongoing aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and skyrocketing diesel and fertilizer costs. Considering that the president's budget for USDA also changes the funding formula for research funding under the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, endangering critical agricultural research, these cuts give little hope to tackling the serious problems facing agriculture and rural America.

"The president's budget provides funding for a national animal ID system, a necessary safeguard for tracing animals in the case of a disease outbreak. I still feel there are significant concerns, however, surrounding the implementation of this system. I understand there is progress being made, but slowly, and I will continue to fight until a strong system is in place."

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