Congressman John Dingell says it will take time to figure out the best response to a meningitis outbreak caused by tainted steroids. But he's urging Congress to take action and make sure it never happens again.
Dingell says the Food and Drug Administration doesn't have the authority to regulate the company that made the contaminated medicine which has killed 15 people so far, including 4 in Michigan.
Dingell says that authority resides in Massachusetts. Since that's where the company develops its products. “Here it appears, and regrettably so, that we had a gap in which some sharpshooters sailed and while they probably are going to be put out of business, the hard fact of the matter is that people have been made sick and have been killed by this.”
But he admits that offers little consolation to affected families. “I think we can tell them one - we have already made significant changes in the law. Two we're going to go back after to see what else has to be done so that this can't happen again.”
Dingell says he will urge Congressman Fred Upton to hold hearings.
Upton is chairman of the Committee on Energy & Commerce, which regulates matters of interstate commerce.
- Chris Zollars
