DeGette Responds to Administration Decision to Keep FDA Labs Open

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WASHINGTON,DC – Due to mounting pressure from Congress, the Food and DrugAdministration (FDA) today announced it will not proceed withreorganization plans that include the closing of seven FDA labs acrossthe country, including the Denver Federal Center in Lakewood. Energyand Commerce Committee Vice Chair Diana DeGette (D-CO) welcomed theAdministration's decision to keep these labs open saying "these labsare vital to our national security."

"These labs play anessential role in protecting our nation's food supply," said DeGette."It is about time the Administration recognized the importance of theselabs and the unique role they serve in our national security. I wasshocked when the Administration announced that these labs were to beeliminated while we read daily news stories about outbreaks offoodborne illnesses"

Stemmingfrom the Energy and Commerce Committee's Investigation of the BushAdministration's proposal to consolidate Food and Drug Administration(FDA) labs, a provision was included in H.R. 3161, The FY08 AgricultureAppropriations Bill, blocking the closure of FDA field and districtlabs, including the facility at the Denver Federal Center in Lakewood.Prior to this, the Bush Administration recently announced that it wouldtemporarily halt consolidating FDA labs for 90 days in order to furtherevaluate concerns about the safety of imported foods.