Senate FDA reform bill floor debate to continue week of Sept. 8.

NATIONAL UNIFORMITY FOR OTCs, COSMETICS MAY PROMPT FDA REFORM VETO recommendation by HHS Secretary Donna Shalala, according to a Sept. 5 letter from the HHS secretary to Senate Labor & Human Resources Committee Chairman James Jeffords (R-Vt.). "The administration has serious concerns about far-reaching preemption -- particularly in the absence of a strong federal program," Shalala writes. Referring to the provision in Jeffords' FDA Modernization & Accountability Act (S 830) that gives FDA federal preemption authority over state safety and labeling regs for OTC drugs and cosmetics, Shalala states "if the bill were maintained in its present form...I would be forced to recommend to the President that he veto this legislation."