The Wall Street Reform Bill…Stop FTC Censorship of Science Based Health Information and Nutritional Supplements

May 12, 2010

Below is a reprint of a call to action by the Citizens for Health regarding deceptive language hidden within the Wall Street reform bill that grants the FTC the power to end access to information about the health benefits of the nutritional supplements you rely on.  The provisions relating to this increased legislative power (which incidentally was taken away from the FTC before because they abused it) has already passed the House (H.R.4173) and is now being considered by the Senate Commerce Committee.  Act now  to help stop these provisions from becoming law.

In health,

Dr. Gina

Hidden inside the Wall Street reform bill are provisions that would grant the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) the equivalent of extraordinary legislative powers. These provisions have already been passed by the House (H.R. 4173) and are being considered by the Senate Commerce Committee.

If signed into law, this bill would grant the FTC:
Unbridled authority to create rules about “unfair or deceptive acts or practices” across all but a few sectors of the American economy;

Power to seek immediate civil penalties for “unfair or deceptive acts or practices without first giving companies the opportunity to change their practices”;

Authority to go after companies for allegedly “aiding and abetting” others in an FTC Act violation, even without actual knowledge of the violation; and

Power to seek such penalties without coordinating with the Justice Department. 

Make no mistake – this is a serious threat to manufacturers, distributors and retailers of dietary supplements, and would censor your access to truthful, science-based information about the positive health effects of supplements, vitamins, herbs, and other natural health products.

The Senate Commerce Committee is ready to act –  click here to send a letter now urging them to oppose this bill.

Examining the impact of this dangerous legislation further shows that delegating such unbridled regulatory authority would harm the economy, limit market innovation, and jeopardize the jobs and products that flow from such innovation. The FTC could use expanded rule-making authority to regulate areas where its involvement would hinder new and emerging business practices, such as internet marketing. The threat of FTC rule-making would lead to the stifling of innovation in the marketplace, stunting growth that would otherwise create a projected 2.6 million new jobs in the internet marketing workforce over the next five years.

Citizens for Health will continue to fight efforts to limit your access to truthful, science-based information about the benefits of supplements – but we need your help.

Click here to contact your senators today and stress the importance of upholding the long-standing safeguards that prevent FTC over-reaching. 

Thanks for making your voice heard,

The Citizens for Health Team


Protect Your Access to Quality Nutritional Supplements

February 28, 2010

Protect Your Access to Safe and Effective Dietary Supplements

I am reprinting an urgent Action Alert from Citizens for Health. Senators McCain and Dorgan have introduced a destructive bill that threatens your access to safe and effective nutritional supplements. I urge you to read the bill and take action today!

-Dr. Gina

S. 3002 Must Be Overhauled or Scrapped – Act Now!

Senate Bill 3002 (S. 3002) is the worst bill we at Citizens for Health (CFH) have seen in the last 34 years, since the “Vitamin Volstead” Act was introduced.

Introduced by Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Byron Dorgan (D-ND) on February 4th as the “Dietary Supplement Safety Act of 2010,” it is designed, says the bill preamble, to “more effectively regulate dietary supplements that may pose safety risks unknown to consumers.”

The bill follows a surge of anti-doping initiatives and announcements dating back to September 29, 2009 (when the U.S. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs heard the testimony of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency USADA), and to a December 2nd, 2009 USADA press conference. If passed, the proposed bill would:

Dramatically harm consumers;
Cripple the nutritional products industry; and
Do absolutely nothing to stem the tide of laboratory-concocted, performance-enhancing drug hybrids masquerading as dietary supplements.

Once this bill is shelved, CFH will be happy to work with Senators McCain and Dorgan to come up with solutions directed at increasing and improving U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) enforcement against labs-for-hire that spike food products with steroids and other banned drugs.

Click here to send your letter today, and urge Congress to preserve DSHEA and your access to supplements by opposing S. 3002!