People default image

Margaret Martin

Policy Advisor
About

Margaret Martin has more than 14 years of experience in the healthcare space, including eight years serving as a senior policy advisor on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee advising on healthcare policy initiatives, leading negotiations and developing legislation. She has vast knowledge regarding policy and legislative issues related to products regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) including drugs, medical devices, food, tobacco and cosmetic products, as well as with public health preparedness and biodefense policies, including those overseen by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA).

As a senior policy advisor on the HELP Committee, Margaret navigated complex political and congressional processes required to advance healthcare policy and legislation aimed at helping drive forward innovation in the private sector. She engaged and advocated on policy matters with Senate leadership, bipartisan congressional staff, members and staff of the Senate HELP and Finance Committees, the Energy & Commerce Committee, and other committees within the Senate and House of Representatives.

Margaret joins DLA Piper after serving most recently as the senior FDA policy advisor for Ranking Member Richard Burr. In this role, she led negotiations for and advised on policy issues related to the FDA and pandemic preparedness, including the FDA User Fee Reauthorization Act, which reauthorized the agency's medical product user fee programs through 2027; the Food and Drug Omnibus Reform Act, which included reforms to FDA's regulation of medical products; the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act, which modernized FDA's authority to regulate cosmetic products; and the PREVENT Pandemics Act, which strengthened preparedness and response capabilities following the COVID-19 pandemic. She also led negotiations for the FDA Safety and Landmark Advancements Act and the Verifying Accurate Leading-edge IVCT Development (VALID) Act as part of the 2022 FDA user fee reauthorization packages.

Margaret Martin is not a lawyer.

Education
  • B.A., Meredith College

Prior Experience

Prior to her role as a senior policy advisor for Ranking Member Burr, Margaret served as a senior health policy advisor for Chairman Lamar Alexander from 2015 through 2020. In this role, she advised on healthcare policies and developing legislation, including the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Preparing for the Next Pandemic Act, Lower Health Care Costs Act, Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act, SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, Animal Drug User Fee Act of 2018, the Tobacco Free Youth Act or "Tobacco 21" and the 21st Century Cures Act. She also played a key role in the FDA Reauthorization Act of 2017, the Over-the-Counter Monograph Reform Act and the Comprehensive Addition and Recovery Act.

Margaret also served as Senator Burr's health policy assistant during his tenure as Ranking Member of the HELP Subcommittee on Primary Health and Aging and as a member of the Senate Finance Committee from 2011 to 2014 managing a comprehensive healthcare portfolio.

Connect