“Every excuse under the sun has been used to create roadblocks, even in the face of Congressional subpoenas requesting information and access to FDA employees,” he told the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s oversight committee this morning, where he appeared as a witness in a hearing about prescription-drug safety.

“In denying access to documents responsive to the subpoenas, (HHS) and FDA have claimed “prosecutorial deliberative process,” “confidential communications,” and “agency prerogative to determine who will be interviewed or testify before a jurisdictional committee. Yet, during my years in the Senate, my investigators have obtained access to every single one of these categories of so-called confidential information from HHS as well as other executive branch agencies….

“I plan to continue my investigation of Ketek and issue more reports. But I am heartened to hear that FDA came to a decision yesterday that mirrors the recommendations of its internal scientists as well as its advisory committees…..”

[tags]Chuck Grassley, FDA, House Energy and Commerce Committee, Ketek[/tags]