Sen. Alexander opposes FDA funding surge

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) opposes Democrats' efforts to include additional funding for FDA as part of U.S. Senate companion legislation for the U.S. House's 21st Century Cures Act ( H.R. 6), an Alexander spokesperson told BioCentury on Wednesday. The absence of FDA funding could lead Democrats to oppose the legislation, or force Alexander to scale back FDA provisions. He is chairman of the Senate's Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

In remarks on the Senate floor Wednesday, Alexander said he is working on an agreement with Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) that would give NIH "a surge of funding for the President's Precision Medicine Initiative" and Cancer Moonshot Initiative. The funding provision would be enacted along with the Senate's version of 21st Century Cures legislation, Alexander said. The NIH surge would be mandatory, meaning it would not be subject to the normal appropriations process. Alexander did not disclose the amount of funding he is seeking. ...