04/28/2025 | News release | Distributed by Public on 04/28/2025 15:55
Washington D.C.- Today, Representatives Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) sent a letter to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to stop the reduction in force (RIF) and reorganization plans at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) impacting FDA's San Juan Medical Products Laboratory (SJNLMP).
The SJNLMP is one of the few FDA-owned and operated facilities specializing in pharmaceutical drug analysis. It has evaluated and led to removal of thousands of adulterated products from the market that otherwise would have exposed American consumers to unsafe products. The laboratory also plays a critical role in ensuring that the drugs and medical products that are part of HHS's Strategic National Stockpile remain safe and available for the nation's armed forces and civilian populations during emergencies and conflicts.
According to constituents, on April 1, 2025, a RIF notice was distributed to the 20 laboratory employees and since then the laboratory has ceased operations.
"Shutting down this laboratory is against your commitment to protect 'essential services' and 'frontline jobs' as doing so jeopardizes the safety of millions of Americans by weakening FDA's ability to detect contaminated pharmaceuticals, respond to health emergencies, and safeguard national security," wrote the lawmakers. "Additionally, this decision would eliminate over 20 highly skilled jobs in Puerto Rico."
Below is a selection of quotes from SJNLMP employees who received RIF notices. They have asked to remain anonymous out of fear of retaliation.
"April 1 was the worst day of my life - receiving the RIF notice shattered me," SJNLMP employee said. "After years of dedication to public health, I felt abandoned, invisible, and heartbroken."
"Receiving the RIF notice felt like having the ground pulled from under us," SJNLMP employee said. "After years of sacrifice and commitment to public health, it was devastating to be dismissed so suddenly, without acknowledgment of our work or our worth."
"Receiving the RIF notice was devastating and left me feeling discarded after years of dedicated public service," SJNLMP employee said. "It created uncertainty, fear, and a deep sense of injustice. We were blindsided despite the critical role we played in protecting public health."
"When I received the RIF notice, I felt an overwhelming sense of shock and betrayal," SJNLMP employee said. "It was heartbreaking to see our vital work disregarded so abruptly. The uncertainty about our future was deeply unsettling."
HHS's RIF plans at SJNLMP will impact various FDA initiatives. Some are the Health Fraud Program, which focuses on identifying and removing dietary supplements that are unsafe or advertised with misleading claims from the market, the Shelf-Life Extension Program, which verifies the stability of SNS drugs and medical products, an existent Cooperative Research and Development Agreement to advance analytical methods for drug safety, and various Import and Surveillance Programs designed to monitor the safety of pharmaceutical imports.
"We urge you to prioritize the health of the American people and the integrity of our pharmaceutical supply chain by ensuring that the San Juan Medical Products Laboratory remains fully staffed and operational," wrote the lawmakers.
In addition to Velázquez and Ocasio-Cortez, the letter was signed by Reps. Darren Soto (D-FL), Ritchie Torres (D-NY), Delia Ramirez (D-IL), and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI).
For a full copy of the letter, click here.
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