Dan Burton: “the debate over the potential costs and benefits of the proposed Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade…”

“the debate over the potential costs and benefits of the proposed Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement, CAFTA, has been contentious; and at times it has been difficult to separate fact from fiction and the myths from reality. In fact, I don't think I have ever seen as many wild and unsubstantiated allegations thrown around about a bill as I have seen during the debate over CAFTA. I rise tonight though because one myth perpetuated by opponents of CAFTA has caused me great deal of concern; namely the myth that CAFTA will restrict American consumers' access to the wide range of vitamin and mineral supplements of varying potencies that are legally sold in the United States. Then there are the related myths that CAFTA will limit the amount and type of information on the labels of dietary supplements sold in the United States or even require that dietary supplements be sold as drugs. I, along with millions of Americans, firmly believe that dietary supplements have been shown through research and historical use to be of immeasurable benefit to human health. As a regular consumer, I know firsthand the health benefits of using dietary supplements on a daily basis. Whether taking a multi-vitamin, herbal product, or specialty supplement, I know that people can and do live healthier lives and save money in long-term health costs by supplementing their diets.…”