Report: Obama Budget Unlikely to Contain Funds for FDA White Oak Campus
Reporting by the Federal Times on 10 February indicates that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is unlikely to see new funds for their White Oak, MD consolidated campus project during fiscal year 2013.
Sens. Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) joined Reps. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Donna Edwards (D-MD) in writing a letter to President Obama on 31 January to call for the restoration of the funds.
"We understand that the FY 2013 budget will also not contain any amount for the [FDA] consolidation, or for any other GSA construction projects nationwide," wrote the legislators.
The funds are appropriated as part of the General Services Administration (GSA), which has seen its construction budget fall from $82 million in 2011 to just $50 million in 2012. GSA officials had requested $174 million in FY2011 specifically for the FDA White Oak campus project, which would consolidate all FDA employees on to a single campus, but GSA instead received less than half of that in total appropriations.
The budget troubles mean that the project's completion is in jeopardy, according to the letter. "Under current funding projections, it is not clear how or when this will be accomplished," the lawmakers said.