Griffith, Guthrie Call For Answers From FDA

Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) and Congressman Brett Guthrie (R-KY) today sent two letters to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf posing questions about numerous FDA regulatory lapses and calling for answers.

“The FDA has wide authority over products Americans consume, but severe lapses have shaken confidence in its ability to properly regulate them,” said Griffith. “In areas from baby formula to CBD products to tobacco, the FDA has been sluggish in solving problems, it has been unresponsive to Congress, and it has been deficient in the execution of responsibilities given to it by law. Congressman Guthrie and I want to know how and why the agency has fallen short and what it is doing to improve.”

“FDA’s job of regulating everyday products that Americans consume is too important to allow delayed responses and failures in executing its duties laid out in statute to continue. It is clear given recent controversies surrounding the agency that this has become the status quo, and that’s why Congressman Griffith and I are working to get to the root problems at FDA. We ultimately want to ensure this federal agency takes more decisive action when issues are reported and meets its responsibility of making sure products are safe for consumption,” said Guthrie.

One of the letters focuses on FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) and its failures to ensure a safe and adequate infant formula supply. That letter can be viewed here.

The other letter focuses on lapses by CFSAN and the Center for Tobacco Products regarding cannabidiol (CBD), CBD-derived products, and tobacco products. That letter can be viewed here.

Responses to both letters are requested by October 17, 2022.