On the recordJanuary 15, 2014
this is an example of the cigarillos my colleagues were talking about. This one is flavored apple. This one is flavored sweet cherry. How about this one. That is strawberry. These products are all about addicting our children. Here is the long and short of it. In 2009, this Chamber and the House signed a bill that gave the FDA the power to regulate these products. The President signed that bill and, since then, the FDA, the Food and Drug Administration, has done nothing to utilize that power to regulate these addictive products that are going to destroy the health of our children in the years to come. Finally, from June 2009 until October of last year--so more than 4 years--they finally sent a draft deeming regulation to GAO, the General Accounting Office, and there it sits. To summarize, let us not accept inaction by the FDA. Let us not accept inaction by the GAO. Let's have the courage the Surgeon General had 50 years ago to take on dangerous products damaging the health of Americans so our children will live better lives. I yield. ____________________
