Hoyer Attends Dedication Ceremony at the U.S. Food And Drug Administration, White Oak Campus
SILVER SPRING, MD – Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-5) attended a dedication ceremony this morning for the Biodefense Laboratory Complex at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s White Oak campus. Prior to the event, he joined Congressman John Sarbanes (MD-3), FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, FDA Deputy Commissioner Walter Harris, GSA Administrator Dan Tangherlini, and others for a tour of the complex.
“The opening of this laboratory complex represents the federal government’s commitment to investing in biodefense – and its continued confidence that Maryland is the best place to do it,” stated Congressman Hoyer. “Since the FDA began moving in eleven years ago, the campus has been transformed into a place where our federal workers’ and researchers’ skill and intellect are applied to saving lives. For over twenty years, Senator Mikulski and I worked tirelessly along with LABQUEST, representing members of the community, to help consolidate the FDA headquarters here and begin the process of building these new labs. I was proud to serve as a Member of both the Labor-HHS and Financial Services Appropriations Subcommittees, which ensured that Congress annually provided the funding to make the consolidation possible.”
“The new southeast quadrant completes the reconstruction of the White Oak campus and its metamorphosis into the hub of medical, pharmacological, and life science innovation it will be for many years to come,” continued Congressman Hoyer. “This new lab’s design will surely be a reminder to all who work and visit here that our nation is committed to the health, safety, and well-being of people in our country and around the world. I thank all of the incredibly talented and dedicated people who work here at White Oak and around the country in support of the FDA’s mission. With their help, in this extraordinary new facility, the FDA can continue to carry out this critical mission and ensure that the food we eatand the medications we take are safe and effective.”
Congressman Hoyer helped lead the effort to consolidate approximately 8,800 FDA employees from 18 different locations throughout the DC metropolitan region to a 130 acre campus setting at White Oak. The Biodefense Laboratory Complex is a five-building complex that has a capacity for 2,700 FDA employees to carry out biological and human drug public health responsibilities.