At last week’s House Oversight Committee hearing, five expert witnesses discussed ways Congress might support the restoration of public trust in the FDA and address regulatory challenges. Overall, stakeholders urged Congress to support the FDA as it seeks to protect consumer health and wellness in an increasingly global health care market. 

•  Chairman James Comer raised concerns about the entry of illicit drugs and unsafe products into the U.S.  

•  Guy Bentley, Director of Consumer Freedom from Reason Foundation, highlighted the growing illicit e-cigarette market, much of which originates from China, and how they have been tackling it.  

• Jonathan Miller, General Counsel of Hemp Roundtable, advocated for a federal framework to regulate hemp-based food and supplements.  

• Richard Williams, Senior Affiliated Scholar at the Mercatus Center, encouraged the FDA to adopt advanced technologies for better efficiency.  

• Shabbir Imber Safdar, an executive director of The Partnership for Safe Medicines, stressed the importance of pharmaceutical border security amid the rise of counterfeit drugs.  

• Dr. David Kessler, a former commissioner of the FDA, reflected on the contribution of the FDA during the pandemic and urged reconsideration of recent agency decisions, saying “it’s not too late to undo some of our mistakes.” 

To catch the full replay, head to the House’s YouTube Channel. 

AHPA extends our gratitude to Jenna Wilson, guest author of this article. 
Jenna is a graduate student in the School of Global Health Management and Informatics program
at the University of Central Florida.