WASHINGTON, DC - On the heels of an April 2016 hearing that examined the safety of U.S. bioresearch labs, Energy and Commerce Committee leaders yesterday followed up with the heads of the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health. The letters were signed by full committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Tim Murphy (R-PA).
“Laboratory safety and security should be one of the highest priorities for federal departments and agencies. The Department of Health and Human Services, through the leadership of the Secretary and the various agency leaders, has taken the initial steps to address this key priority by establishing the appropriate offices such as the Office of Laboratory Science and Safety at both CDC and FDA, and the Division for Occupational Health and Safety at the NIH," wrote Upton and Murphy. “Given the importance of this critical mission area, these appropriate offices at CDC, FDA and NIH should have adequate resources, a direct report to the agency head, and be operated and funded independently of other program management activities."
The leaders ask the agencies to answer their questions regarding the staffing and funding of agency safety offices, External Laboratory Safety Workgroup recommendations, and for copies of the agencies’ internal investigations following the smallpox vial discovery in July 2014.
