Alliance: FDA FY14 budget may end up below FY13

According to an analysis by the Alliance for a Stronger FDA, a FY14 sequester could leave FDA with a budget below its post-sequester FY13 base appropriation of $2.39 billion. The analysis from the group that advocates for FDA funding was based on an August report from the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on the potential for budget sequestration in FY14. According to the OMB report, FY14 budget bills moving through the U.S. House of Representatives would keep non-defense spending below limits that would trigger sequestration. However, budget bills moving through the Senate would exceed the cap and would trigger a 7% cut across non-defense spending.

Both the Senate and House Appropriations Committees have passed FY14 budget bills for FDA. The Senate bill would allocate about $2.56 billion in base appropriations, or taxpayer funding, for FY14, but the Alliance estimates a 7% cut would bring that total to $2.38 billion, along with a potential $110-$120 million in user fees lost to sequestration. In contrast, the House bill would allocate $2.49 billion in base appropriations in FY14 to the agency, with no sequestration cuts to the base or to user fees. ...