Jerry Moran

I think it was 2010, maybe 2011, the law was changed to allow the sales.

Thank you for your passion and for your compassion.

I would express my disappointment that, once again, the President's budget proposes significant cuts to crop insurance.

But my hope is that a few months into your job as we get through the appropriations process, that we would invite you back.

I applaud those efforts. We have seen a number of just individuals--Gary LaGrange, who is retired military in my hometown, has created opportunities for veterans returning with traumatic injuries to enter farming, in this case, beekeeping…

Food aid, and particularly the McGovern-Dole--in Kansas, we would say the Dole-McGovern program. You are proposing reductions in the spending in that area.

This issue of Cuba will be one of broad interest in Congress.

My understanding of the current state of the law in regard to Cuba is that we can sell agriculture commodities, food, and medicine to Cuba for cash.

Agriculture supports more than 16 million jobs nationwide and forms the backbone of our rural communities.

I'm disappointed that once again the president's budget proposes massive cuts to the crop insurance program.

Commissioner, I saw recently that the Director of the Center for Veterinary Medicine announced that she was leaving the agency.

I am an advocate, obviously, for expansion of those opportunities in places that are unserved.

We look forward to working with you on that and other issues.

I was impressed with your level of knowledge and expertise, and I wish you well as you lead the Food and Drug Administration.

The committee expects to receive this report no later than 60 days after enactment.

It is about the result. It is not about--I mean, FSMA is designed in a way to create safe food, not a regulatory checklist.

I would ask you and encourage you to consider the appointment of a veterinary medicine practitioner, a doctor of veterinary medicine, to that position.

The budget requests $755 million in mandatory funds for new cancer-related research activities.

My hope is that a few months into your job as we get through the appropriations process, that we would invite you back.

Commissioner, let me turn my attention, our attention, to FSMA and the topic of guidance documents.

This decision potentially has significant consequence to a lot of people, from producers to consumers, and I would ask that you initiate a broad discussion among those affected by this decision before a conclusion is reached.

I am concerned that the FDA is often slow in communicating with us and with our staff.

The guidance documents are just guidance. And the entity being reviewed can perform compliance in a different way than the guidance documents.

I would ask if you would assure me that you will do everything as the commissioner to see that our subcommittee, its members, get appropriate, full, complete, and timely responses to inquiries we make to the FDA.

I very much value his service to the Agency and to the American people, who, in my view, are safer because of his work.