Reject Proposed Legislation That Would Add Responsibility For Tobacco Regulation to the FDA..

December 7, 2007 - A report issued last Friday (November 30, 2007) by the FDA's Science and Advisory Board documented that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is understaffed, underfunded and underperforming is all the evidence Congress should need to reject proposed legislation that would add responsibility for tobacco regulation to that overburdened agency. That's the message sent to Congress (12/5/2007) by Jim Martin, President of 60 Plus , a national senior advocacy organization. Martin sent a letter to the House Energy and Commerce Committee urging them not to add to the FDA's problems by voting in favor of the tobacco regulation legislation. The legislation Martin asked the committee to reject is known as the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (H.R. 1108). It would force the FDA to take on wide-ranging responsibility for all facets of tobacco regulation. ( Leader Urges Congress Not to Worsen FDA Crisis, PRNewswire-USNewswire, 12/5/2007) Related news brief: October 5, 2007.