FDA's budget may be cut, report says

NEW YORK — Cuts to the Food and Drug Administration could be in the works, according to a published report.

The Hill, a newspaper that covers Capitol Hill, reported Monday that the House Appropriations Committee suggested cutting the FDA’s budget by $285 million in its proposed 2012 spending bill, bringing its total budget for next year to $3.7 billion.

The article noted that a significant portion of the FDA’s budget comes from user fees from drug and medical device companies, but that advocacy groups had fought for increased funding to the agency during the Bush administration after several high-profile food and drug safety scandals.