[This is the statement of former Congressman Berkley Bedell (D-IA), speaking
before Senator Harkin's appropriations subcommittee that was investigating
the situation at OAM.]
"Current FDA policies prevent the testing
and use of non-toxic alternative treatments. I am sure that most members
of Congress are not aware of this situationä.To say that current FDA
policies are a disaster to health care in America is a masterpiece of under-statement.
"Current policies give exclusive rights to the big pharmaceutical
companies or other large corporations. Small researchers, practitioners
and scientists do not have the money needed to go through the FDA approval
process. Yet all through history most creativity has come from researchers,
scientists and others working in small operations, not from giant corporations.
And in medicine, current FDA regulations are most effective in shutting
them out.
"This committee took one of the most important actions in the history
of health care when you established this Office with a mandate to 'investigate
and validate' these alternative treatments.
At this time, I see it as the only hope for getting lower cost, more
effective treatment a hearing.
"Mr. Chairman, it is time for some straight talk. There are some
powerful forces in our society that are doing quite well with things as
they are. The pharmaceutical industry and the AMA have a monopoly on the
treatment of cancer and most degenerative diseases. They are both doing
quite well financially. How could one expect them to welcome change that
might challenge their monopoly?
"In my opinion, for this office to be successful in carrying out the investigations
called for in this legislation, one of the requirements will be a director
who is willing to stand up to these powerful forces. I am sorry to tell
you that in my opinion our current director [i.e. Joseph Jacobs, M.D.]
has not yet shown that commitment. I hope this will change. I believe
it must."
