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# House Democrats Seek Clarification on FDA Hiring Freeze
- URL: https://www.fdaweb.com/house-democrats-seek-clarification-on-fda-hiring-freeze/
- Published: 2017-01-31T12:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-14T22:03:53.000Z
- Author: David McFarland
- Tags: Drugs, #legacy-id-D5137859

House Energy and Commerce Committee ranking member **Frank Pallone**, Jr. (D-NJ), Health Subcommittee ranking member **Gene Green** (D-TX), and Oversight & Investigations Subcommittee ranking member **Diana DeGette** (D-CO) 1/30 sent a [letter](http://democrats-energycommerce.house.gov/sites/democrats.energycommerce.house.gov/files/documents/PresidentTrump.2017.01.30.%20Letter%20re%20FDA%20Hiring%20Freeze.pdf?ref=fdaweb.com) to president Trump asking for clarification on FDA’s hiring authority in the wake of a hiring freeze ordered on all agencies [last week](https://www.fdaweb.com/fda-impacted-by-trump-hiring-freeze/). The House letter follows a 1/30 [Senate letter](https://www.fdaweb.com/help-committee-democrats-seek-details-on-fda-hiring-freeze/) from Democrats on the HELP Committee seeking similar clarifications from FDA.

Because of the uncertainty with the Trump Administration’s hiring freeze memorandum, the letter requests answers to several key questions including: 

- What criteria will the Administration use to determine whether or not vacancies at FDA would be eligible for an exemption as outlined in the memorandum?
- Does federal hiring use private user fee revenues subject to the hiring freeze outlined in the memorandum?
- Is the hiring authority provided to FDA under the 21st Century Cures Act subject to the hiring freeze outlined in the memorandum?