Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have floated a proposal to protect user fees paid by medical device and drug companies to the FDA from federal budget cuts forced by sequestration.
In March, the federal watchdog agency lost $210 million, or about 5.1% of its $4.1 billion 2013 budget, as a result of sequestration, a bargain between the White House and Congress. Included in those cuts were the user fees medical device and pharmaceutical companies pay in order to ensure timely reviews of new devices and drugs.