“The FDA has no intention of rejecting our public health order,” said FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn. Tweeted On Tuesday, after the announcement of the agreement by the USDA.
Advocates for the agency’s career had already filed several objections to the so-called agreement, people familiar with the discussions told Politico.
Senior H.H.S. Hane has refused to sign the agreement on several occasions in recent days – including protesting the pressure on the HHS to agree to the MoU on Monday, the official said.
Instead, Brett Giroire, the health secretary for the HHS, replaced him with the MoU. The move angered FDA officials who called on the HHS to undermine the agency’s regulatory powers. Have spent months in the effort of no.
Senior H.H.S. This is a last-minute hail of Mary, the official said. “That’s the total caddy of the FDA Authority to the USDA.”
An HHS spokesman said the last-minute agreement was executed by the White House, which coordinated the “policy formal policy process” and was carried out despite HHS Secretary Alex Azar’s own reservations.
The spokesman said Azar “was and remains a supporter of the position of Commissioner Hahne and the FDA on the MoU, but on the direction of the White House, the decision to implement the MoU was taken,” the spokesman said. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue was quick to applaud the agreement, saying in a statement: “It paves the way for our regulatory framework in the 21st century, putting American producers on a level playing field with their competitors around the world.” In the past, the rules hindered innovation, causing American businesses to play catch-up and share market share. “
The pork sector is leading the charge for the scheme on behalf of the USDA. The industry’s largest lobbying group, the National Pork Producers Council, said in a statement on Tuesday that it plans to implement a technology that has the potential to improve animal health, reduce agricultural environmental action and improve production efficiency. ”
Although for years the FDA has resisted calls from the agricultural lobby to monitor it, the request has pushed the industry in part because they believe the USDA will approve them more quickly. Throughout its history, the FDA has only signed two animals for consumption produced using these methods: genetically engineered salmon and pigs are safe for people with certain allergies.
To counter the growing pressure to sign the agreement last week, FDA officials argued that the agreement would violate the agency’s public health mission by abandoning monitoring of genetic changes that could directly affect humans. In a document released Tuesday, the USDA only needs to “consult” with the FDA in many cases, a vague requirement the agency argued would not comply with legal scrutiny.
Senior H.H.S. “With this MoU, the industry will win over public health,” the official said. “It’s a dark day for the agency.”
