US Foreign Policy & Military Action - The Pentagon criticizes Venezuela's fighter jets flying near a US Navy ship as a provocative maneuver [1] - A US strike in international waters killed 11 people on a boat allegedly connected to Venezuelan drug gangs [1] - Democrats are seeking answers regarding the legal justification for the US strike [2] - The Trump administration defends the strike as a necessary measure against drug cartels, arguing that a 2% loss of cargo is factored into their economics [6] - Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated the US will blow up drug cartels to combat them [6] Drug War & Opioid Epidemic - Senator Gene Shaheen supports stopping drug cartels but cautions against actions that could escalate conflict and endanger military personnel [3][4][9] - There is a need for more information on the intelligence that led to the strike on the drug-carrying boat [5] - Senator Shaheen highlights the opioid epidemic's impact on New Hampshire, emphasizing the need for effective action against drug cartels [3][8][10] - New Hampshire had seen progress in reducing overdose deaths through interdiction, treatment, and recovery efforts, but funding for these programs has been cut [11][12] Defense Spending & Priorities - Senator Shaheen expresses concern that renaming the Defense Department to the Department of War could cost billions and distract from military readiness [13][14][15] - Focus should be on the readiness of troops and addressing conflicts around the world rather than on a name change [14][15]

Regulatory Failures & Conflicts of Interest - The FDA failed in its oversight of opioids, contributing to the opioid epidemic [1] - Regulatory capture at the FDA is suspected, though unproven, with reviewers moving to Purdue Pharma after approving OxyContin for chronic pain based on a 14-day study [2] - Industry members have been removed from FDA advisory committees where possible to address potential conflicts of interest [3] - A conflict of interest exists if the team that approved a drug is responsible for evaluating its safety post-approval [6] Post-Market Drug Monitoring & Safety - The industry emphasizes the need for continuous monitoring of drugs and devices after approval [4] - The industry should not wait 19 years after a drug's approval to discover potentially deadly downstream effects, such as the alleged million deaths linked to OxyContin [5] - The industry advocates for using big data and epidemiology to monitor drugs for emerging safety signals [5] - The FDA previously had a system where bureaucrats could block safety epidemiology studies, which is being eliminated [5][6] Labeling & Scientific Integrity - The industry aims to ensure the accuracy and consistency of OxyContin and similar medications' labels with scientific evidence [3] - The industry is committed to preserving the scientific process in drug evaluation [4]