Expert: Kennedy’s Death May Affect Devicemakers’ Support in Senate

Devicemakers may have to rebuild support in the Senate following the death of Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and the forthcoming change in leadership of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Jack Calfee, an American Enterprise Institute economist who studies the FDA, says. Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) has filled the chairmanship of the HELP Committee, which commonly considers legislation relevant to devicemakers, while Kennedy was absent due to his illness. But Dodd, who chairs the Senate Banking Committee, has not committed to taking on the role full time.
Devices and Diagnostics Letter