(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Senators Patty Murray (WA) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (NY) today issued the following statement on depositions released in a suit against the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which prove that political leadership actively delayed a decision on the over-the-counter status of Plan B:
“It is clear that our worst fears were true. Two successive FDA commissioners — Bush Administration political appointees — blocked Plan B from being sold over-the-counter, overruling the FDA’s medical experts, advisors and the recommendations of over 70 organizations, including the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
“It is outrageous that under this Administration, an agency entrusted with making unbiased decisions based on science, has abused its authority and allowed ideology to govern its decision-making.
“The FDA should not be playing politics with the health of American women.
“The American people must be able to trust that the FDA is the gold standard in drug approval. Every day that goes by without a decision on Plan B is a threat to both women’s health and the integrity of the FDA and we call on Acting Commissioner von Eschenbach to resolve this issue without further politics or delay.”
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