US Politics: US government agencies: the FDA, part 1

Self-tutoring about the US government’s agencies: the tutor begins about the FDA.

Once in a while, I hear people wondering if certain US agencies should exist or are worth it. I’ve heard the FDA mentioned in such context, for instance.

The FDA’s mission statement is as follows:

The Food and Drug Administration is responsible for protecting the public health by ensuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, and medical devices; and by ensuring the safety of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation. –fda.gov

The FDA’s budget, 2021, was 6.1Billion. The US deficit, 2021, was 2.8Trillion. (The entire budget was around 4.8Trillion.)

So, the way I see it, the FDA keeps around 330Million American consumers safe on a budget that’s about 0.2 percent of the US deficit.

Even if you remove FDA altogether, it won’t impact US government spending. However, it will remove a safety net for US consumers.