FDA would become Federal Drug Administration and no longer be responsible for food regulation.
Back in 2017, President Trump issued an executive order focused on reducing “duplication and redundancy” and improving “efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability of the executive branch.” His administration has now proposed as part of a plan referred to as “Delivering Government Solutions in the 21st Century” to restructure the Department of Health and Human Services.
As part of the reorganization, the Food and Drug Administration would become the Federal Drug Administration. The approximately 5000 FDA employees responsible for food safety would be combined with approximately 9200 US Department of Agriculture (USDA) employees in a new agency entitled the Federal Food Safety Agency that would fall under the purview of the USDA. Approximately $1.3 billion in funding would also be moved. FDA would be responsible for drugs, devices, biologics, tobacco, dietary supplements, and cosmetics.
Such a reorganization cannot take place without the support of Congress. According to the report: “Fully integrating FSIS and the food safety functions of FDA would ultimately require a reconciliation of underlying legislative authorities and regulatory approaches.” Margaret Weichert, deputy director for management at the White House Office of Management and Budget, hopes that the proposal will serve as the “beginning of a national dialogue on government reform.”