Fw: Fwd:Sen. Harkin: Protect DSHEA

[Guest guest]

Dear List:

Elwood has done all of us a great service by printing a brief

statement of Iowa's Sen. Tom Harkin on the current and recurring threat to

deny

vitamins and food supplements to the general public. Senators Harkin and Orrin

Hatch of Utah, are both up to speed on just what the evil drug empire is

trying to do. It comes us about every 10 yearend is tested to see whether or

not

people are on the alert regarding our freedom to buy Dietary Supplements as

we have become accustomed to doing.

DSHEA, (Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act) required all of our

protection. Senators Harkin and Hatch should be e-mailed thanking them for

their

alertmess and continued support in the Congress. I have personally

witnessed these two Senators go on the attack against the evildoers, and I am

not sure

who the evil ones are. They hide behind smokescreens, but I suppose it is

drug companies who wish to get control and profit from the sale of Dietary

Supplements.

Action Recommended. I suggeest each of ourlist send an e-mail to both

Senators Harkin and Hatch thanking them for vigilance and alertness in

protecting

DSHEA. Some of you may know of others in the Congress who would appreciate

knowing how much DSHEA means to the health of all of us, Captain A.

Manson USN Ret.

[Guest guest]

A transcript of a brief talk of Senator Harkin, as forwarded by Elwood ,

for information.

Subject: Protect DSHEA

Date: Thu, 22 Apr 2004 09:21:32 -0500

More evidence that there is a serious threat to health freedom

Senator Harkin Script

Hi. I'm Senator Tom Harkin from Iowa. First let me say how proud I am to

have been on your side in the many battles going back to 1994. We worked

together to get some important things accomplished for the health of the

American people and I thank you for that.

But now, we may be fighting our biggest battle ever in the United States

Congress over how dietary supplements are regulated. I'm talking about the

threat to the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act. As you know,

together with my colleague across the aisle and my co-sponsor of DSHEA,

Senator Orrin Hatch, fought some tough battles to get this important law

passed. Senator Hatch has remarked that our opponents threw everything at us

but the kitchen sink back in 1993 and 1994 to defeat DSHEA. Well, now their

aim's better.

About three years ago I said that DSHEA was facing its most serious threat

since its passage. Today, our challenge is even bigger. Those who would

undo DSHEA have stepped-up their efforts in the past few years. Right now,

there are no less than half a dozen bills in both the House or Senate that

would dismantle the law. Take DSHEA apart.

If some of the bills out there were to become law, Americans could lose

access to many of the dietary supplements they count on to maintain and

improve their health, like I do every day. Introducing new products will

become more difficult and expensive. And the Food and Drug Administration,

the agency that has quite frankly failed to enforce the law, will get

unprecedented authority over dietary supplements.

Our message must be simple: we should enforce DSHEA, not gut it.

Time after time I've asked the heads of the Food and Drug Administration, Do

you have the authority you need to take dangerous products off the shelves

and every time their answer has been " yes. " Yet all too often, instead of

using the authority granted by DSHEA, the FDA has sat on their hands. For

years they delayed getting out the " gumps, " good manufacturing practice

standards. For years they sat back and let street drug knock-offs stay on

the shelves. For years they've bungled on ephedra and andro.

As I said, your message must be simple: enforce DSHEA, don't gut it. Well,

we've got our work cut out for us.

To preserve DSHEA, and the right of consumers to choose the healthful

products they want and need, I believe three things need to happen, and they

need to happen fast. First, Congress needs to be educated about the benefits

DSHEA brought to the American people. I know you're already doing this, butmore

needs to be done. Second, you need to get the word out to the 190

million people who use vitamins, minerals and other nutritional supplements

that their freedom to choose healthful and affordable products is in

jeopardy. Again, I know you've made a great start in this area, but an

expanded effort is necessary to really be effective. And third, we need to

make sure that the Food and Drug Administration does its job. On this last

point, Senator Hatch and I have gotten legislation through that should help

by giving the Food and Drug Administration more funding to implement the

law.

I believe DSHEA has brought greater choice and better nutrition to people

all over this country. People today are taking better care of themselves,

they're taking the vitamins and the minerals and the other nutritional

supplements - what they want and what they need to stay healthy. If

appropriately implemented, it can have an even more positive impact on the

health of Americans. And as long as I'm in the United States Senate, you

have my commitment that we're going to keep moving that forward. Thank

[Guest guest]

A transcript of a brief talk of Senator Harkin, as forwarded by Elwood ,

for information.

Subject: Protect DSHEA

Date: Thu, 22 Apr 2004 09:21:32 -0500

More evidence that there is a serious threat to health freedom

Senator Harkin Script

Hi. I'm Senator Tom Harkin from Iowa. First let me say how proud I am to

have been on your side in the many battles going back to 1994. We worked

together to get some important things accomplished for the health of the

American people and I thank you for that.

But now, we may be fighting our biggest battle ever in the United States

Congress over how dietary supplements are regulated. I'm talking about the

threat to the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act. As you know,

together with my colleague across the aisle and my co-sponsor of DSHEA,

Senator Orrin Hatch, fought some tough battles to get this important law

passed. Senator Hatch has remarked that our opponents threw everything at us

but the kitchen sink back in 1993 and 1994 to defeat DSHEA. Well, now their

aim's better.

About three years ago I said that DSHEA was facing its most serious threat

since its passage. Today, our challenge is even bigger. Those who would

undo DSHEA have stepped-up their efforts in the past few years. Right now,

there are no less than half a dozen bills in both the House or Senate that

would dismantle the law. Take DSHEA apart.

If some of the bills out there were to become law, Americans could lose

access to many of the dietary supplements they count on to maintain and

improve their health, like I do every day. Introducing new products will

become more difficult and expensive. And the Food and Drug Administration,

the agency that has quite frankly failed to enforce the law, will get

unprecedented authority over dietary supplements.

Our message must be simple: we should enforce DSHEA, not gut it.

Time after time I've asked the heads of the Food and Drug Administration, Do

you have the authority you need to take dangerous products off the shelves

and every time their answer has been " yes. " Yet all too often, instead of

using the authority granted by DSHEA, the FDA has sat on their hands. For

years they delayed getting out the " gumps, " good manufacturing practice

standards. For years they sat back and let street drug knock-offs stay on

the shelves. For years they've bungled on ephedra and andro.

As I said, your message must be simple: enforce DSHEA, don't gut it. Well,

we've got our work cut out for us.

To preserve DSHEA, and the right of consumers to choose the healthful

products they want and need, I believe three things need to happen, and they

need to happen fast. First, Congress needs to be educated about the benefits

DSHEA brought to the American people. I know you're already doing this, butmore

needs to be done. Second, you need to get the word out to the 190

million people who use vitamins, minerals and other nutritional supplements

that their freedom to choose healthful and affordable products is in

jeopardy. Again, I know you've made a great start in this area, but an

expanded effort is necessary to really be effective. And third, we need to

make sure that the Food and Drug Administration does its job. On this last

point, Senator Hatch and I have gotten legislation through that should help

by giving the Food and Drug Administration more funding to implement the

law.

I believe DSHEA has brought greater choice and better nutrition to people

all over this country. People today are taking better care of themselves,

they're taking the vitamins and the minerals and the other nutritional

supplements - what they want and what they need to stay healthy. If

appropriately implemented, it can have an even more positive impact on the

health of Americans. And as long as I'm in the United States Senate, you

have my commitment that we're going to keep moving that forward. Thank

[Guest guest]

A transcript of a brief talk of Senator Harkin, as forwarded by Elwood ,

for information.

Subject: Protect DSHEA

Date: Thu, 22 Apr 2004 09:21:32 -0500

More evidence that there is a serious threat to health freedom

Senator Harkin Script

Hi. I'm Senator Tom Harkin from Iowa. First let me say how proud I am to

have been on your side in the many battles going back to 1994. We worked

together to get some important things accomplished for the health of the

American people and I thank you for that.

But now, we may be fighting our biggest battle ever in the United States

Congress over how dietary supplements are regulated. I'm talking about the

threat to the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act. As you know,

together with my colleague across the aisle and my co-sponsor of DSHEA,

Senator Orrin Hatch, fought some tough battles to get this important law

passed. Senator Hatch has remarked that our opponents threw everything at us

but the kitchen sink back in 1993 and 1994 to defeat DSHEA. Well, now their

aim's better.

About three years ago I said that DSHEA was facing its most serious threat

since its passage. Today, our challenge is even bigger. Those who would

undo DSHEA have stepped-up their efforts in the past few years. Right now,

there are no less than half a dozen bills in both the House or Senate that

would dismantle the law. Take DSHEA apart.

If some of the bills out there were to become law, Americans could lose

access to many of the dietary supplements they count on to maintain and

improve their health, like I do every day. Introducing new products will

become more difficult and expensive. And the Food and Drug Administration,

the agency that has quite frankly failed to enforce the law, will get

unprecedented authority over dietary supplements.

Our message must be simple: we should enforce DSHEA, not gut it.

Time after time I've asked the heads of the Food and Drug Administration, Do

you have the authority you need to take dangerous products off the shelves

and every time their answer has been " yes. " Yet all too often, instead of

using the authority granted by DSHEA, the FDA has sat on their hands. For

years they delayed getting out the " gumps, " good manufacturing practice

standards. For years they sat back and let street drug knock-offs stay on

the shelves. For years they've bungled on ephedra and andro.

As I said, your message must be simple: enforce DSHEA, don't gut it. Well,

we've got our work cut out for us.

To preserve DSHEA, and the right of consumers to choose the healthful

products they want and need, I believe three things need to happen, and they

need to happen fast. First, Congress needs to be educated about the benefits

DSHEA brought to the American people. I know you're already doing this, butmore

needs to be done. Second, you need to get the word out to the 190

million people who use vitamins, minerals and other nutritional supplements

that their freedom to choose healthful and affordable products is in

jeopardy. Again, I know you've made a great start in this area, but an

expanded effort is necessary to really be effective. And third, we need to

make sure that the Food and Drug Administration does its job. On this last

point, Senator Hatch and I have gotten legislation through that should help

by giving the Food and Drug Administration more funding to implement the

law.

I believe DSHEA has brought greater choice and better nutrition to people

all over this country. People today are taking better care of themselves,

they're taking the vitamins and the minerals and the other nutritional

supplements - what they want and what they need to stay healthy. If

appropriately implemented, it can have an even more positive impact on the

health of Americans. And as long as I'm in the United States Senate, you

have my commitment that we're going to keep moving that forward. Thank