WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is directing the Food and Drug Administration to take steps to reduce drug shortages, action he says will help stop a “slow-rolling problem” that puts patients at risk and raises the potential for price gouging.

Obama signed an executive order in the Oval Office on Monday instructing the FDA to take action in three areas: broadening its reporting of potential drug shortages; accelerating reviews of applications to change production of drugs facing potential shortages; and giving the Justice Department more information about possible instances of collusion or price gouging.

House Republicans narrowly passed a bill that makes significant cuts across the Department of Agriculture and related agencies that is being chided by Democrats for making steep cuts to food safety and child nutrition programs.

The measure narrowly passed on a vote of 217-203 Thursday, with 19 Republicans joining all House Democrats voting against the legislation, which makes a 21 percent cut to the FDA’s budget totaling $572 million below the president’s request — including $285 million or 12 percent just this year.

WASHINGTON – Every few months, the Food and Drug Administration goes into fire-brigade mode, rushing to get control over another safety crisis.

Tainted peanuts. Unsterilized syringes. Salmonella in Mexican chili peppers. A contaminated blood thinner from China that sent patients into life-threatening shock.

Some say the FDA is broken.

“Bet yourself a new hat or a fine dinner that you are going to have a scandal a month,” said Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich. “