House Agriculture Subcommittee approves $2.1 billion for FDA in 2009

NEW YORK The Food and Drug Administration may get a boost in funding next year, under a fiscal 2009 budget passed by the House Agriculture Subcommittee.

The budget, totaling $2.1 billion, gives the FDA $282 million more than it originally requested, including $275 million that Health and Human Services secretary Michael Leavitt had requested.

A subcommittee of the FDA’s Science Board had released a report complaining of insufficient funding and staff and obsolete equipment that prevented it from adequately performing its duties.

The bill will go to the House Appropriations Committee, which will then vote on whether to send it to the full House.