Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) announced the committee’s intention to circulate a drug shortage discussion draft following the completion of a bicameral request for information (RFI) she led with Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-ID). 

“As the Food and Drug Administration Commissioner rightfully told our Committee, ‘We have got to fix the core economics if we are going to get the situation fixed.’ Through our bicameral RFI, we have received more than one hundred substantive responses, most of which agreed we need to think broadly to address underlying economics that have led to devastating and life-threatening drug shortages for patients. I thank every expert, stakeholder, and American who participated thoughtfully in this process. Our committees are carefully reviewing the responses, which will help to inform a discussion draft that that Energy and Commerce plans to unveil in the coming weeks.” 

BACKGROUND ON THE COMMITTEE’S DRUG SHORTAGE EFFORTS: 

June 12, 2023: Chair Rodgers and Ranking Member Crapo sent an RFI to stakeholders and experts. 

May 11, 2023: Chair Rodgers and OI Subcommittee Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA) convene subcommittee hearing titled “Examining the Root Causes of Drug Shortages: Challenges in Pharmaceutical Drug Supply Chains.” 

March 27, 2023: Chair Rodgers and Subcommittee Chair Griffith, and Subcommittee on Health Chair Brett Guthrie (R-KY) wrote to the FDA requesting information into how the agency is managing drug shortages. 

• You can read the FDA’s response here, which notes that only 44 percent of companies are complying with existing requirements to report information on the volume of drugs made at each facility to FDA.