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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Led by Congresswoman Lois Capps, 35 Democratic Women House Members today sent a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expressing concern about reports of efforts by the Bush Administration to slash more than one-quarter of the budget for the Office of Women’s Health. The letter asked FDA Commissioner Dr. Andrew C. von Eschenbach to “respond to us as to why and how the decision was made to withhold $1.2 million from the Office (of Women’s Health).”
The Office of Women’s Health operates within the Food and Drug Administration and is charged with funding research on male-female biological differences to ensure that women receive the most appropriate drug doses and treatments. The office also produces essential health information about menopause, pregnancy, birth control, osteoporosis and other topics. Last year the office was attacked by conservative groups for its efforts to approve the emergency contraceptive "Plan B.”
“The Bush Administration has a troubling history of efforts to undermine the Office of Women’s Health,” said Capps a registered nurse who sits on the Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Health. “I am very concerned that we are seeing yet another attempt by the Administration to take away critical resources from women’s health when we should be providing additional support for it. It appears this raid on the Office of Women’s Health budget is payback for the agency making scientifically based decisions about women’s health that contradicted the Administration’s political agenda. If that’s the case, it’s unacceptable. I am hoping that FDA Commissioner von Eschenbach will be able to shed some much needed light on this issue.”
Congresswoman Capps, a registered nurse, serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Health and is Chair of the Democratic Women’s Working Group.
A copy of the letter to Dr. Andrew C. von Eschenbach follows:
Dr. Andrew C. von Eschenbach
Commissioner
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
5600 Fishers Lane
Rockville, Maryland 20857
Dear Dr. von Eschenbach:
We are writing to express our concern with the recent decision to withhold more than one-quarter ($1.2 million) of the Office of Women’s Health operating budget. Congress appropriated $4 million for the Office of Women’s Health in FY2007 and we believe that full amount should be used for activities that are carried out in order to achieve the Office’s goal of promoting women’s health within the FDA and the government.
As you know, the scientific community has made great strides in recognizing that there are biological differences between men and women that warrant gender-specific research in order to adequately address diagnosis and treatment of disease. The creation in 1994 of the Office of Women’s Health within the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was a significant step towards achieving gender equality in federal health research, but there still remains much work to be done. Without an advocate for women’s health within the agency, we fear that the progress that has been made over the past decade in regard to advancing women’s health, ensuring gender sensitivity in research, and guaranteeing that women are included in clinical trials will be stifled.
We do not believe that reallocating funding appropriated specifically to the Office of Women’s Health is in the best interest of women’s health or drug safety and ask that you respond to us as to why and how the decision was made to withhold $1.2 million from the Office. The Office of Women’s Health is already operating on a tight budget and cutting that funding will only further disable the Office’s ability to fulfill its mission.
Thank you for your attention to this issue. We look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Rep. Capps
Rep. Maloney
Rep. Schakowsky
Rep. Solis
Rep. Baldwin
Rep. Napolitano
Rep. Slaughter
Rep. Lowey
Rep. Susan Davis
Rep. Tauscher
Rep. Lee
Rep. Woolsey
Rep. Herseth
Rep. Loretta Sanchez
Rep. Matsui
Rep. Millender-McDonald
Rep. Eshoo
Rep. Norton
Rep. DeGette
Rep. Gwen Moore
Rep. Carolyn McCarthy
Rep. Harman
Rep. Sutton
Rep. Linda Sanchez
Rep. Tubbs Jones
Rep. Lofgren
Rep. Roybal Allard
Rep. Kilpatrick
Rep. Hirono
Rep. McCollum
Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson
Rep. Berkley
Rep. Bordallo
Rep. Hooley
Rep. Julia Carson
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Pictured above: (center) Congresswoman Capps meets with Central Coast firefighters to discuss emergency preparedness.
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