FDA under fire from Johnson and Hunter
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) sent a letter Monday to Vice President-elect Mike Pence concerning the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s regulation of e-cigarettes.
Johnson and Hunter are raising concerns about the agency’s recent e-cigarette regulation, which could create undue burdens on small businesses and possibly lead to negative unintended health consequences. The lawmakers are hopeful that, under a new administration, these harmful regulations can be repealed.
“We are hopeful that through both executive and legislative action, burdensome regulations imposed by the Obama administration will be re-examined and undone,” the lawmakers wrote. “The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s deeming regulation of e-cigarettes is an example of a burdensome rule that could eliminate an entire emerging industry. The FDA’s rule threatens to crush the e-cigarette industry and potentially hurt the public’s health by making it harder for consumers to access products that serve as an alternative to smoking.”