Jack Reed: “Today we are debating very important legislation, important for the country in the reformation and reauthorization…”

“Today we are debating very important legislation, important for the country in the reformation and reauthorization programs at the Food and Drug Administration. Particularly important in this legislation is the prescription drug user fee program, which has proven to be a remarkable achievement that has speeded the approval of drugs, getting these necessary medicines to the American public. S. 830 includes a number of provisions that will include and streamline the regulation of prescription drugs, biological products and medical devices, and we have made great progress over the last several weeks and months in reaching this position today. This bill is a result of ongoing renegotiations, both prior to and subsequent to the markup of the legislation. Through this process, a number of provisions that could have threatened the public health and safety have been dropped or otherwise reformed in such a way that we have made, as I said, remarkable and very effective progress. However, this legislation still contains provisions which could jeopardize the public health.”