Cynicism R Us: Congressional noise better than nothing, but …
By Gina Spadafori
December 6, 2007
Oh please can I ever have even the smallest measure of faith restored in the ability of our government to act in the interests of its citizens, not its lobbyists? I respect Sen. Durbin — he was one of the few who seemed to give a rat’s behind when our pets were dying, and he hasn’t let the matter drop since – but I just wonder about the efficacy of any efforts that seem to have such widespread indutry support. What industry honestly wants more regulation? Mostly they want non-regulation that seems to be regulation. It’s the American way!
But you be the judge. From Sen. Durbin’s office:
At a press conference in the U.S. Capitol, Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today was joined by Senator Edward M. Kennedy, the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), the Food Marketing Institute (FMI), the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI), the Coalition for a Stronger FDA and FDA Alliance, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), and the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) in calling on the White House to increase FDA’s food safety resources. Also today, in a letter to President Bush with cosigners from both sides of the aisle, Senator Durbin urged the President to recognize the importance of this issue by proposing a significant funding increase for FDA’s Foods Program in the FY09 Budget.
“For years, Congress has pointed out that the FDA is understaffed and under funded,” said Senator Durbin. “Now, the FDA’s own science advisors admit the agency is failing at its mission. The only good news is that these reports may give us the momentum we need to change. I am calling on the Administration to commit to doubling FDA funding over the next five years. We simply cannot leave American families vulnerable when it comes to food safety.”
Last week, a subcommittee of the FDA’s Science Board released a pivotal report detailing how under funding of the FDA is jeopardizing the agency’s ability to protect the food supply. Specifically, the report found that FDA is woefully under funded and unable to do its job due to soaring demands on the Agency; and resources that have not increased in proportion to those demands.
Here’s the rest. And here’s more on that report.
Why it takes committees and interminable delays to determine the obvious is beyond me. No wonder nothing gets done.
Somehow this smacks of a PR effort on the part of the “lobbying” groups associated with this effort. I give Sen. Durbin credit for his efforts on this issue. However, I’ll wait (and won’t hold my breath) to see when something positive is actually accomplished.
Comment by Carol — December 6, 2007 @ 3:59 pm
According to the FDA’s own report Weapons of Mass Destruction are sitting right here on U.S. soil!!! What government does this to it’s own people???
…“The recent problems with imported pet food contaminated with the chemical melamine also point up the FDA’s struggles, the panel reported..
• Pet food sales total $15 billion to $20 billion a year and **the CVM received more than 18,000 phone calls about the melamine contamination—but the CVM “is able to devote only TWO PEOPLE working full-time on pet food issues.**”
[What??? Did I read this correctly?
• “Overall, the FDA doesn’t have enough well-trained scientists, the report asserts. The number of “appropriated personnel” is about the same now as it was two decades ago, resulting in “major gaps of scientific expertise in key areas.”
• “The panel was “extremely disturbed” by the condition of the IT systems. The report continues, “The IT situation at FDA is problematic at best—and at worst it is dangerous. . . . Systems fail frequently, and even small systems are unstable—most recently during an E. coli food contamination investigation.”
• “More importantly, reports of product dangers are not rapidly compared and analyzed, inspectors’ reports are still handwritten and slow to work their way through the compliance system, and the system for managing imported products cannot communicate with Customs and other government systems.”
Comment by Nadine L. — December 6, 2007 @ 4:00 pm
I think that Durbin would do well to create an alliance with Bill Hubbard, retired FDA’er, if he hasn’t already.
http://www.help.senate.gov/Hea.....ubbard.pdf
There’s no argument that the FDA is underbudgeted, but before any manna from heaven starts flowing down, I think someone really needs to review the current policies and practices within the FDA BEFORE any monetary infusion. Why feed a broken system?
I have to admit that the Durbin/Kennedy/GMI/et al. confab rubs me the wrong way. Can’t put my finger on it, but it seems like someone’s up to no good [from my perspective].
Comment by Lynn — December 6, 2007 @ 5:10 pm
The FDA would probably have to be the size of the US Army to adequately inspect the flood of imported food and drugs coming into the US. Not that domestic producers are inherently superior, but they have to operate under US law and regulatory systems which makes them potentially more vulernable to government action demanded by outraged citizens-and lawsuits.
Comment by dubious — December 6, 2007 @ 6:20 pm
Oh, I see … if we just let U.S. producers do whatever the heck they want, all will be well. Thanks for clearing that up. I feel so much safer now.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — December 6, 2007 @ 6:54 pm
Hey, the U.S. Army! That’s a great idea! Bring our troops back from Iraq and have them stationed at all U.S. Ports and FDA field laboratories to adequately inspect all food and drugs, both imported and domestic. Now THAT’S serving and protecting this great country of ours!
Comment by Nadine L. — December 6, 2007 @ 10:58 pm
Hey Nadine L - now that’s a stroke of genius!
FDA Boot Camp!
Comment by Lynn — December 7, 2007 @ 4:12 am
Dubious:
Regarding your statement pertinent to US producers, “……they have to operate under US law and regulatory systems which makes them potentially more vulernable to government action demanded by outraged citizens-and lawsuits.”
Please, I don’t mean to insult you, truly I don’t…….but have you been in hibernation this past year?
Comment by Lynn — December 7, 2007 @ 4:16 am
Gina, if you feel safer with that how bout this. In a recent committee hearing, FDA Sec Leavitt said he only found out in the recent few days that FDA didnt have authority to force recall. Isnt that something we all knew beginning in March and wouldnt you think that was his job to learn that along time ago? Amazing.
Comment by Sandi K — December 7, 2007 @ 8:32 am
http://www.hudson.org/index.cf.....mp;id=5327
(…)
Initially, China refused to let American inspectors into the country to visit the pet food factory. By the time the inspectors were given visas, the factory had been bull-dozed to the ground.
(…)
US govt inspectors don’t need visas to inspect factories in the US.
Comment by dubious — December 7, 2007 @ 9:41 am
Dubious … I think Lynn’s right: You HAVE been in hybernation.
We’re very much aware of China’s shenanigans.
You’re not making yourself terribly clear, though (or maybe you’re just a troll): Are you calling for fewer regulations on U.S. producers, more on China, or … ?
Comment by Gina Spadafori — December 7, 2007 @ 9:49 am
Re Sandi K’s comment about Leavitt’s newfound knowledge: yeah, real scary!
Also, Sandi K, you’ll love this link:
http://origin.mercurynews.com/.....ck_check=1
“Leavitt told the committee that the nation’s food supply was one of the safest in the world. He said improving the safety of imports and food would require the government to focus on products as they are being manufactured or grown, rather than trying to intercept unsafe products at the border.”
Boy, every time I read that statement I come up with a different meaning. Is he saying that we should go back to producing all our own goods in the US? No, that can’t be, because if we did, we wouldn’t need to import any foodstuffs.
What am I missing here? Or is it Leavitt who doesn’t understand the whole picture and doesn’t know what he’s saying and thus is talking in circles?
What’s also troubling is that Leavitt says that our country has one of the safest food supplies in the world. I’m supposed to feel better because we’re one of the best of the worst?
Where did they get this guy?
Comment by Lynn — December 7, 2007 @ 5:24 pm
He’s just parrotting talking points.
Comment by The OTHER Pat — December 7, 2007 @ 6:43 pm
You know, we may have the wrong approach on this whole thing… Instead of having PFI and AAFCO involved in setting their own standards and letting importers do whatever they please…
Consider…
If Congress changed the Laws so that there were HUGE FINES imposed upon the importer and retailer who IMPORT FOR SALE imported goods that are tainted with banned, unacceptable, unapproved contaminants and the FINES imposed for EACH and EVERY item brought into the country that is so tainted… Then we would NOT need to inspect hardly anything. The importers and retailers would be so busy AVOIDING those FINES that they would do the inspections themselves. I think this would bang the door shut so hard that the manufacturers would quickly have to cease this tainted nonsense. After all the publicity for the manufacturers to CONTINUE sending leaded items and pet food taints, means they have no attention grabbing incentive to stop. I think that if the importers made emergency changes to their import agreements imposing inspections and passing along fines, even the foreign exporters and the manufacturers would stop because their greed factor is threatened. When I say huge fines I mean fines several times in excess of the value of each item.
Comment by Dennis — December 7, 2007 @ 8:54 pm
Dennis:
~ Remember the pet food recall and how long it took for the FDA to accept that melamine and cyanuric acid were the causal agents of poison? And how long it took for them to determine the source suppliers? [Gee how many deaths had been tallied by then?]
~ Consider the very slow grinding of the government wheel. Think about the many years and lengthy controversial studies that will take place before the government masticates on the new concept or policy, mulling through its legality, its efficacy, its political correctness, the cost:benefit analyses, and all the possible ramifications if it runs amuck……before they decide to institute such a policy of fining the companies producing the product. Oh yes, and in the interim there will be reorganizations, people will retire, etc., etc., which means starting from scratch again with a new entourage.
So given just those elements, optimistically, it will be 3-5 years before the FDA approves the CONCEPT of fining responsible companies, if they ever will. Then the companies will start another set of arguments that will tie up the courts, questioning liability and financial responsibility. Figure another 5 years to resolve that, if it ever is.
In the interest of time [and death counts] it’s probably best to just stop all importation of anything that goes into any living creature’s body.
But, wait! None of that will happen as long as the FDA and corporate America beds down together.
Seriously? I wish your idea was doable. Accountability should be the name of the game.
Comment by Lynn — December 8, 2007 @ 12:42 am
Don’t forget - you have to *catch* ‘em before you can fine ‘em. And we’re still at only about 1% inspection . . . . . . . . . . . .
Comment by The OTHER Pat — December 8, 2007 @ 7:49 am
Comment by Lynn — December 7, 2007 @ 5:24 pm
Lynn, I watched the hearing and one thing I found to be disturbing is Leavitt’s behavior depending on who he was responding to. He was far more mellow when responding to Sen Burr as compared to responding to Sen Kennedy. When I see that going on, all I can think is that nothing good will happen. If they cant set aside politics, they wont do whats right for the public.
Comment by Sandi K — December 8, 2007 @ 10:38 am
Bummer, I wrote a response to Sandi K and it imploded.
Sandi K.,
None of what you wrote surprises me. It’s so discouraging.
I didn’t know anything about Leavitt before this article so I googled him. Both he and Bush became friends [if they weren’t already] when Leavitt served 10 years as Gov of Utah. Leavitt proceeded to become the head of the EPA. Then Bush appointed Leavitt as Sec of Health and Human Welfare in 2004. Read more about this, especially the comment by Robert Musil, at http://www.washingtonpost.com/.....Dec13.html
It’s so disheartening to know that politics is exactly as defined on one website: “Intrigue or maneuvering within a political unit or group in order to gain control or power: Partisan politics is often an obstruction to good government.”
Gee, and here I thought our government was “for the people, by the people, and of the people.” Sadly this concept has perished.
Terra Raza!
Comment by Lynn — December 8, 2007 @ 6:43 pm