Successful Roundtable between House Republican Members &

Medical Device Innovators on Need for FDA Regulatory Reform

Washington, D.C.– Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, hosted the first “Jobs and Innovation Forum” on Capitol Hill today.  The event featured a roundtable discussion between House Republican Members and medical device innovators about the problems associated with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s regulatory process and how to improve that process. The event – which was webcast live and included public participation through Facebook and Twitter - also included a demo of the innovators’ latest technologies.

“With unemployment stuck above 9 percent and the threat of a double-dip recession increasing, we need to unleash the power of American free enterprise to revitalize our job base – especially in high-paying industries such as medical technology where America has traditionally been the world leader,” said Rep. McMorris Rodgers.  “As we heard from the medical innovators at today’s forum, current FDA policies are threatening our leadership.  Unless we reverse the FDA’s hostile regulatory approach to cutting-edge innovations, we will continue to lose high-tech medical device jobs to Europe and Asia – jobs that should be staying here in America.” 

In the United States, medical technology is directly responsible for employing more than 400,000 people, paying employees more than $24 billion, and transporting more than $135 billion in products around the United States and abroad.  In Eastern Washington, more than 8,700 jobs have been created by the medical innovation industry with a payroll of $526 million and more than $2 billion in sales in Washington State alone. 

“To maintain America’s leadership in this critical field, Congress must eliminate the 2.3 percent tax on medical devices scheduled to go into effect in 2013, curb unnecessary regulations and make the FDA more efficient so that innovators can make their life-saving and life-improving devices readily available in the domestic market,”said Rep. McMorris Rodgers.

The innovators at today’s forum were Mr. Alex Lukianov (Chief Executive Office, NuVasive), Mr. Steve Ferguson (Chairman, Cook Group Inc.), Mr. Rick Packer (Chief Executive Officer, ZOLL Medical), and Mr. John Friel (former Chief Executive Officer, MEDRAD)

The Members of Congress who attended were Rep. McMorris Rodgers, Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), Health Subcommittee Chairman Joseph Pitts (R-PA), Rep. Charles Bass (R-NH), Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY), Rep. Lee Terry (R-NE), and Rep. Leonard Lance (R-NJ).