No decision on Office of Women's Health Funding, FDA Commissioner Von Eschenbach says

FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach on Wednesday at a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing said he has not made a decision on fiscal year 2007 funding for the agency's Office of Women's Health, Reuters reports (Heavey, Reuters, 2/28).

According to an unnamed, high-level FDA official, the agency intends to withhold $1.2 million of the $4 million Congress allocated to the women's health office for FY 2007, and the remaining $2.8 million already has been allocated or spent. The official, who is not authorized to speak publicly, said the decision means the women's health office effectively must stop further projects this year. The Bush administration for several years has requested and Congress has allocated $4 million annually for the office, which was created in 1994 (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 2/27). "I haven't made that decision yet," von Eschenbach said at the subcommittee hearing, adding, "There is absolutely no reduction or diminishing of the agency's commitment to women's health." After his testimony, von Eschenbach told reporters that FDA needs the ability to adjust funds as necessary. "I'm not downsizing the Office of Women's Health," he said, adding that staff would remain in place. "I'm not saying there won't be a reduction, ... but it's not to be viewed as a reduction of our commitment to women's health," he said, adding that he would inform Congress of his decision on the issue by March 15.

Reaction, Letter
Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) on Wednesday sent a letter to von Eschenbach saying the women's health office needs to be fully funded (Reuters, 2/28). Cutting funding for the women's health office would "shortchange promising efforts to improve women's health," the letter said. The senators requested "an immediate explanation as to how the reallocation can be averted," adding, "As Congress moves forward with the budget and appropriations process, we will pursue every course to make certain that this funding is restored" (Clinton release, 2/28). The House Appropriations subcommittee on Wednesday also questioned the Bush administration's proposal to reduce by $350,000 funding for the women's health office for FY 2008. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), chair of the subcommittee, said, "We need answers on the Office of Women's Health, and we need them right away" (Reuters, 2/28).