[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 115 (Wednesday, July 13, 2022)]
[House]
[Page H5982]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            FOOD SAFETY IS A SECOND-CLASS CITIZEN AT THE FDA

  (Ms. DeLAURO asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the Food Safety 
Administration Act, which I am introducing today, along with Senator 
Dick Durbin.
  The FDA regulates almost 80 percent of our food supply. Consumers and 
industry depend on the FDA to perform its regulatory role. Every year, 
nearly 48 million people get sick from foodborne illness, resulting in 
128,000 Americans being hospitalized and 3,000 dying. This is 
preventable and costly.
  Between inadequate responses to recalls, a failure to implement a 
culture of outbreak prevention, and proposed rules and initiatives that 
languish for years, FDA's food program has struggled in its role to 
protect consumers.
  Food safety is a second-class citizen at the FDA. As highlighted by 
the infant formula crisis, there are dire consequences when food safety 
is not prioritized. The FDA has the authority to appoint a deputy 
commissioner of foods with a background in food safety but has yet to 
do so. This affects all aspects of FDA's food program.
  That is why I am introducing this bill that will establish the Food 
Safety Administration under Health and Human Services and incorporate 
the existing food programs within the FDA into a separate agency. This 
will increase leadership and accountability, strengthen oversight of 
the food supply, and enhance the industry's ability to operate 
effectively.

                          ____________________