FDA shutdown looms; webinar today explores different FDA scenarios 

— COMMENTARY —

By  Steven Grossman, executive director of the Alliance for a Stronger FDA

On Sept. 29, 2023, I fell asleep — certain that the government would shutdown at midnight the next day. The threat was real. The Alliance for a Stronger FDA had already circulated a shutdown toolkit for FDA stakeholders. 

Fortunately, we dodged a shutdown then and again on Nov. 19 and on Jan. 19. The current Continuing Resolution runs out at midnight on March 1. Once again, a shutdown is a possibility.

What happens this week is both uncertain and consequential. Here are five things to know: 

• Time is running out. 
• There is no path to completion that is not encumbered by seemingly unsolvable political and procedural problems. 
• A shutdown (of unknown duration) is possible.
• FDA still faces a range of outcomes from a modest increase to a devastating cut.
• Serious action on FY 25 is unlikely before the Fall 2024 election.

All of this will be discussed in greater detail today (Feb. 28) at 2 p.m. EDT at an Alliance webinar on “FDA Funding and the Appropriations Process.” Register here.

The Alliance webinar will describe FDA’s multiple sources of revenue, explain how the FDA’s budget is put together, and examine the endgame for fiscal year 2024 appropriations and the rollout of the fiscal year 2025 budget request. 

Certain to be discussed throughout the webinar will be the potential for a shutdown and what happens at FDA if one occurs. 

We hope you can join us for this budget and shutdown discussion. 

We also have another webinar on March 8 at noon EDT that should be of interest to FSN readers. The presenter will be Jim Jones, FDA’s new Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods. His topic is: FDA’s priorities and plans in food chemical safety. For that event, Register here.

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