[woodruffw]

It's worth noting that the "user fees" component of the FDA's budget isn't growing primarily because the FDA has increased those fees, but because Congress have consistently authorized new categories of feeds corresponding to changes in the medical environment. That paints a very different (although incomplete) picture than the FDA raking in cash: they're collecting fees to compensate for a larger regulatory picture, including new drug classes and categories developed over the last 30 years.

This is broken down on the FDA's website[1].

[1]: https://www.fda.gov/industry/fda-user-fee-programs/fda-user-...

[MichaelZuo]

Yeah in real terms, the total budget divided over the total number of specific cases/inquiries/complaints/mandates/etc… has shrunk enormously.