Chuck Grassley: “I am pleased to have bipartisan sponsorship of two very important bills with Senator Dodd of Connecticut that are being…”

“I am pleased to have bipartisan sponsorship of two very important bills with Senator Dodd of Connecticut that are being introduced today, the Food and Drug Administration Safety Act of 2007 and the Fair Access to Clinical Trials Act of 2007. These bills are part of a sustained effort to restore public confidence in the Federal Government's food and drug safety program and to make sure the agency does all it can to protect the public. Enactment of those two bills would provide doctors and patients with more information about the risks and benefits of their medicines and bring about greater transparency and accountability of the Food and Drug Administration. I am sure my colleagues realize I have been involved in oversight of the Food and Drug Administration for now at least 3 years, and it has been in response to concerns about the reluctance of the Food and Drug Administration to provide information to the public about the increased suicide risks for young people taking antidepressants. In November 2004, I chaired a groundbreaking hearing on drug safety involving the Food and Drug Administration and the drug Vioxx. That hearing and other critical drug safety concerns that have come to light since then highlight the need for comprehensive and systematic reforms as well as more stringent oversight of the Food and Drug Administration.”