Russ Feingold: “I am pleased to support S. 1082, the Food and Drug Administration Revitalization Act of 2007. This much-needed…”

“I am pleased to support S. 1082, the Food and Drug Administration Revitalization Act of 2007. This much-needed legislation improves our country's prescription drug and medical device safety, and responds to problems that Congress is long overdue in addressing. This legislation strengthens the Food and Drug Administration, a body that has been continually underfunded and weakened by political and corporate interests. While I would like to see an even stronger bill passed, this legislation drastically improves our current policies that regulate the FDA. My constituents in Wisconsin largely trust that their food, medications, and medical devices are safe. I generally trust that they are as well. We all depend on the FDA to ensure that our lives are not jeopardized by faulty products or contaminated food. However, recently a steady stream of dangerous drugs, food, and devices have made their way into Americans' homes. Vioxx, antidepressant drugs for children, salmonella poisoning in food, pet food contaminations--these are just a few of the most publicized instances that have harmed and even killed people in our country. Numerous investigations have been conducted in order to better understand why these events have occurred. The conclusions to these studies have found that we need a better FDA. We need to provide the agency with the legal authority necessary to ensure our safety, and we need to provide the FDA with the necessary funding to do its job.”