User Fee Bill Could be Tabled in Senate After Deluge of Unrelated Amendments

The Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act (FDASIA) may have been deemed by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to be a "must pass bill," but that hasn't stopped a cavalcade of congressmen from lining up to offer last-minute-and sometimes unrelated-amendments to the legislation.

The Hill reports Reid, a staunch supporter of the bill, is warning Senators to get in line regarding amendments to the bill, which could delay the legislation.

Reid "warned that the Senate could move to other legislation if an agreement over amendments to a Food and Drug Administration bill could not be reached," reported The Hill.

FDASIA has encountered a long list of amendments, some of which could endanger the legislation in its entirety. Some of the more controversial bills include:

• An amendment from Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT) to eliminate the 2.3% medical device excise tax formed under the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
• An attempt by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) to attach a piece of stalled legislation, The Flood Insurance Reform and Modernization Act of 2011, to FDASIA.
• An Amendment by Sens. Jim DeMint (R-SC) and David Vitter (R-LA) to require the US Department of Health and Human Services to make public all correspondence between the Obama administration and PhRMA.

A total of 39 amendments have been filed in the Senate as of 22 May 2012, with many attracting co-sponsors.

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The Hill - Reid warns Senate could drop FDA bill