In Brief: Senate Appropriations
This article was originally published in The Rose Sheet
Executive Summary
Senate Appropriations: Committee passes FDA budget with no changes July 17 by a 28-0 vote. In the bill, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition funding increased to $94.5 mil. in FY 1998 due to a $12 mil. allocation for food safety initiatives. Excluding the increase for food initiatives, CFSAN funding was flat at $82.5 mil., compared to $83.2 mil. in fiscal 1997. Overall, FDA was budgeted $949.1 mil. for FY 1998, $5.1 mil. more than the House Appropriations Committee granted to the agency. A sum of $844 mil. was allocated to FDA salaries and expenses, a $24 mil. increase from 1997, and $93 mil. more than the White House budget request. The committee also recommended fee collections of $91.2 mil. from the Prescription Drug User Fee Act. Senate consideration of the bill is scheduled to take place as early as July 22...