I’ve complained about excessive bureaucracy at the Food and Drug Administration.
And this is not just run-of-the-mill grousing about red tape. The FDA actually is responsible for needless deaths because of pandemic incompetence, anti-vaping mentality, and delayed approval for life-saving drugs.
Interestingly, I may now have an unexpected ally in the battle against FDA red tape. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who usually has very statist inclinations, recently released a video condemning the bureaucracy for preventing Americans from having access to better-quality sunscreen.
US sunscreens are far behind the rest of the world and our regulations aren’t necessarily making our sunscreens better or safer — but it doesn’t have to be this way! pic.twitter.com/vaZXpZ2a7S
— Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@RepAOC) August 11, 2023
Wow, she acknowledges that that bureaucracy and red tape can lead to bad results. What an epiphany!
Though I don’t want to go overboard with praise. For instance, it’s not clear if she even wants to strip the FDA of its power to regulate sunscreen.
But perhaps this is the beginning of a long journey to libertarianism.
In which case, her future videos will expressly call for deregulation. And she’ll point out that a policy of “mutual recognition” would allow Americans to directly buy Korean sunscreen (the same approach could have solved the baby formula shortage).
P.S. I’ll close by noting that the FDA also does other bone-headed things. I’ve previously written about the bureaucracy’s war against unpasteurized milk (including military-style raids on dairies!). It also has dragged its feet on liberalizing birth control. Speaking of which, FDA red tape is responsible for the fact that Americans have a much more limited selection of condoms than Europeans.
P.P.S. If you think AOC will remain a leftist, you can click here, here, here, and here to laugh at her statism.
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Image credit: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration | U.S. Government Works.
