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Bunning: On FDA Tobacco Bill Amendments

By Chris Taylor

Frankfort, KY – The U.S. senate is moving ahead with legislation that would give the Food and Drug Administration regulatory authority over the tobacco industry. Under terms of the original legislation, seven medical doctors would be voting members of an advisory committee. Kentucky U.S. Senator Jim Bunning has written an amendment to the bill that would require a study of the impact of the legislation, before it takes effect. The Kentucky Republican says there are a lot of questions about how the regulatory change would work.

Mandating this without really studying it. Of course everybody says we've studied this for years. But we haven't really studied what they're proposing to do. They're proposing to mandate through the manufacturer to the grower which has not been tried before.

Bunning also authored an amendment that would give farmers a vote on the advisory committee the bill establishes. Supporters of the original legislation say the bill will help protect the American people from the health problems associated with tobacco products.