[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 56 (Thursday, April 2, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E854]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           FAMILY SMOKING PREVENTION AND TOBACCO CONTROL ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, April 1, 2009

  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1256, the 
Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. This bipartisan 
legislation would grant the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) long-
needed authority to regulate the manufacture, sale, distribution and 
marketing of tobacco products.
  As we all know, tobacco related diseases contribute to the death of 
400,000 Americans and costs the nation's health care system nearly $100 
billion each year. The most tragic part of this statistic is that 
virtually all of these deaths are preventable. It is alarming that 
preventable diseases such as emphysema, heart disease and cancer all 
can be attributed to the use of tobacco. We must do everything we can 
to end preventable suffering and death due to tobacco use. And as we 
look towards significant, comprehensive health reform legislation, this 
bill is critically important to achieving our goal of a healthier 
nation.
  The FDA has the scientific expertise and regulatory experience to 
understand complex tobacco products, stipulate changes and address how 
these changes interact with the marketing that impacts consumer 
behavior. The FDA is the best agency to regulate tobacco products 
because it is regularly engaged in evaluating the scientific and 
technical evidence related to the safety or lack thereof of consumer 
products, as well as examining issues related to access, marketing and 
claims made about these products.
  Continuing to allow tobacco manufacturers to escape any sort of 
regulation when food, drug, device and other manufacturers are subject 
to oversight is unacceptable. Congress cannot leave tobacco products, 
the number one preventable cause of death, unregulated. Tobacco 
companies should not remain free to manipulate their products by 
secretly increasing nicotine levels or adding candy flavorings to 
entice children. We need to do what we can to reduce the harm of 
tobacco products and FDA is the only agency with the level of expertise 
required to take on this task.
  Colleagues, we can all agree that the FDA faces significant 
challenges, is in desperate need of new, effective leadership and a 
commitment from this Congress to implement the necessary changes. H.R. 
1256 is not in conflict with those changes. The legislation creates a 
new, separate center for tobacco product regulation within FDA and 
establishes user fees--paid for by the manufacturers and importers of 
the tobacco products regulated by FDA--to fully fund the agency's new 
work relating to tobacco products. None of the positions or funding for 
the new Center for Tobacco Regulation will be taken from existing FDA 
resources. I am pleased that the bill before us includes language that 
maintains the same role of the Appropriations Committee with regard to 
the fees in this bill that the Committee has with regard to other FDA 
user fees Providing the FDA with authority over tobacco products is 
completely consistent with FDA's core mission to protect the public 
health.
  This bill has strong bipartisan support, and is endorsed by key 
groups including the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, the 
American Heart Association, the American Lung Association, the American 
Medical Association and Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and more than 
1000 other health, medical, consumer, community and faith groups.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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