Dick Durbin: “I think that only makes sense. The third thing we say is that the Food and Drug Administration has to actively promote…”

“I think that only makes sense. The third thing we say is that the Food and Drug Administration has to actively promote more objective scientific experts without conflicts of interest. I don't think this is a radical proposal. Don't we want peace of mind at the end of the day that the advisory committee has made a decision based on science and medicine and what is good for America as opposed to the bottom-line profit-and-loss statement of the pharmaceutical company? There is a lot of discussion on this floor about the safety of drugs and the products that the FDA considers. I hope this amendment, which is critical to the integrity of the FDA, is approved by my colleagues on a bipartisan basis.”