Rick Attends Fundraiser for Congressman Pallone, an Ally in the Supplement Industry

It’s a difficult time for the dietary supplement industry — with the mainstream media’s continued cynicism toward dietary supplements often serving to create confusion, and unnecessary alarm, about dietary supplements.  This past Sunday, in fact, yet another story highlighting “questionable dietary supplements” and the “deregulation” of the supplement industry appeared in Long Island’s Newsday – which, although it also presented some positive information about the benefits of vitamins and other dietary supplements, most likely served as an alarmist piece about the safety of dietary supplements (to read Sunday’s article, click here).

As issues surrounding dietary supplements and FDA/FTC compliance continue to heat up, it’s clear that the supplement industry needs allies – allies who not only understand the complex area of dietary supplements and dietary supplement law, but who can also be an important voice for the supplement industry regarding supplement legislation and regulations.  On Sunday evening in midtown Manhattan, Rick Collins was part of an important fundraiser for Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) — who, as a longtime friend of the supplement industry — is now in a political race to replace retiring Rep. Henry Waxman as the top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce (E&C) Committee (the committee of jurisdiction on the House side for FDA-regulated industries, including dietary supplements.) Pallone, who has represented central New Jersey in Congress since 1988, is a senior member on the House E&C Committee and serves as the top Democrat on the Committee’s Subcommittee on Health.  He holds an important leadership position within the House Democratic Caucus and, as the Communications Chair of the Democratic Policy Committee, plays an active role in developing and implementing the Democratic Party’s message.

Sunday night’s fundraiser was presented in conjunction with the Natural Products Association PAC, and was an evening supporting Shore PAC.  Leaders in the dietary supplement industry gathered for the event – providing a rare opportunity to talk directly with Congressman Pallone about some of the key issues in the supplement industry today.

Rick was able to talk one-on-one with Congressman Pallone about the new Designer Anabolic Steroid Control Act legislation that the Congressman is co-sponsoring and has just introduced in the House, addressing “anabolic steroids masquerading as dietary supplements.”   The bill, while cracking down on a segment of the industry, has strong universal support from the industry trade associations – which have long viewed the synthetic “prohormone” market as tarnishing legitimate companies and acting as a lightning rod for negative attention toward the industry as a whole.  The bill has no political opposition, although Washington inertia and gridlock may prevent any significant movement on the bill this year.  For more about the bill, click www.naturalproductsinsider.com/news/2014/05/congressman-introduce-anabolic-steroids-bill-in-h.aspx.  Also, see The New Designer Steroid Bill and YOU: Questions and Answers with Rick Collins for Rick’s analysis of a similar piece of legislation introduced in the Senate in 2012.

We hope that the political race for the top Democrat position on the House E&C Committee will produce a much-needed ally for the supplement industry.  Check our blog frequently for news on the dietary supplement industry, dietary supplement legislation and FDA/FTC compliance issues.  In addition, if you have any questions about current laws in the dietary supplement industry, regulatory compliance, or are in need of legal defense for FDA investigations/enforcement, call us 24/7 at 516-294-0300.