From your article, his group tried to get lens implants classified as drugs making them subject to FDA regulation.
"Even though the FDA had already made up its mind to ban IOLs, the directive came down from Congress that you can study IOLs, but you can't ban them."
>they were shooting very hard for control. They said intraocular lenses are drugs and the FDA needed to control drugs
He is one man giving his opinion on what the opposing side was thinking during a debate over thirty years ago. The FDA likely had legimate reasons to continue their fight, they aren't actively hoping people can't see.