You won’t believe this, but Senator Durbin has actually reintroduced his disastrous anti-supplement bill! Urgent Action Alert!
On August 1, just as Congress is preparing to recess until the second week in September, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) reintroduced legislation (S.1424) that would deal a deadly blow to nutritional supplements. The the language of Sen. Durbin’s new bill is identical to that of his previous bill, the Dietary Supplement Labeling Act, which ANH-USA and grassroots activists nationwide successfully fought in the past.
Sen. Durbin has said his bill is designed to stop “mislabeling products and making health claims that have no scientific basis” and “marketing supplements with impure or incorrectly identified ingredients.” If that’s the case, the senator should be pleased to know that each of those things is already against the law! In fact, almost all of the bill’s provisions are already covered by existing law, and the few that aren’t covered are so vague that they could mean whatever the FDA wants them to mean.
This bill requires that the FDA, together with the Institute of Medicine (IOM), compile a list of dietary ingredients (supplements) that might lead to adverse events, or are otherwise deemed risky in some way—based on completely arbitrary or nonexistent standards. Given the FDA’s profound bias against supplements, and the skewed, anti-science recommendations of the IOM’s vitamin D report, these are hardly trustworthy sources of guidance!
Creating arbitrary lists of “bad” supplements or “bad” doses, especially with no scientific evidence whatsoever, is a dangerously slippery slope. This bill will give the FDA major new powers to curtail supplement sales, and neither the FDA nor the IOM will be subject to any clear standards. They can just make it all up as they go along! Even worse, once an ingredient or supplement is on the list, there is no clear process to challenge the FDA and IOM determination, not even if new or contradictory evidence comes to light.
This bill is a naked FDA power grab—an attempt to move us one step closer to a full FDA pre-approval system for supplements. That, of course, would just make supplements insanely expensive, like drugs—if you could get them at all. Since foods and supplements already occurring in nature are not generally patentable, producers faced with immense FDA approval costs (the average new drug costs $1 billion to get approved), most health foods and supplements would no longer be marketed at all.
URGENT! Please write to your senators immediately and tell them to stop Sen. Durbin’s frontal attack on your right to use supplements dead in its tracks! We don’t need this new legislation—all we need is for existing laws to be fully enforced. We need our access to nutritional supplements to be protected. Please write your senators today!
Please DONT!
Durbin must be getting a Mega Pay Off from Big Pham
This bill only favors Big Pharma, let’s not fail to stop it!!!
Filled out the letter and sent it to my Senators as requested re the bogus Durbin authored legislation.
I noted that I was unable to edit the letter being set to the Senators. I should point out that those letter carry much more weight if they are not simply form letters. When they are edited to include the constituent’s thoughts on the issue the legislators pay more attention.
Thanks for reading
Bill Beers
Try regulating the drugs that actually kill that the fda currently approve first.
I understand the need to stop false claims on supplements but there are already laws in place to do that. I use several supplements and I know they are safe and effective for what I use them for. I am intelligent enough to make my own decisions on what I purchase and what I take. Please do not allow anyone to get in the way of my health and my freedom of choice. Thank You.
stop Sen. Durbin’s frontal attack on your right to use supplements dead in its tracks! We don’t need this new legislation—all we need is for existing laws to be fully enforced. We need our access to nutritional supplements to be protected.
Supplements have saved my life.
PLEASE protect my personal freedoms of choice. I am the ONLY one responsible for my health and what I put into my being and I resent this over reaching political posturing to protect corporate interests. Its a blatant power play that usually ends in corporations, not individual citizens benefiting. To introduce this bill so late in the political season that has already been refused is a sneaky egotistical tactic. PROTECT MY FREEDOM NOW PLEASE!
its the gradual loss of our freedom …..durbin is part of the cadre of politicians who dis regard the constituion
Looks like the waiters to Big Pharma are at it again trying to take away our rights to vitamins, why? Because they’re relatively cheap, effective, & cutting into Big Pharma’s profit margin with their addictive prescription drugs with numerous side effects, one being they keep you dependent & sick. Hands off our vitamins!
no new legislation on this issue, please.
Please stop Sen. Durbin’s frontal attack on my right to use supplements. We don’t need this new legislation. All we need is for existing laws to be fully enforced. We need our access to nutritional supplements to be protected. I urge you to protect our ability to obtain supplements. Thank you.
Do you even lift, senators ?
And he’s a democrat. I don’t get it and neither does he.
This is so gross. No profit in people healing themselves, so the attack on supplements rises again. They tried this 20 years ago, make your voice heard, it’s easy to take action.
Stop Sen. Durbin’s attack on our right to use supplements! We don’t need this new legislation—all we need is for existing laws to be fully enforced. We need our access to nutritional supplements to be protected!!!
As a caregiver currently, a former OSHA representative, a retired veteran, and mentor, this is a total outrage. It’s bad enough that the corruption in the FDA now ignores Monsanto’s vulture capitalism and non-labeled GMO seeds (while refusing to test them by the standards of organic science or allow public inquiry). Yet they don’t deny these seeds are insecticide-filled, create super-bugs, and destroy lands and water supplies. Yet we insist on distracting from improving our health, and instead assault the natural and organic foods?
You know the battles going on against that garbage, you know that FDA has approved multiple dangerous drugs, many without proper testing (like Monsanto products). You know that most countries have banned their products. But instead of doing what we the people are demanding loudly every day, somehow I end up writing you to help protect what decent food and supplements we have to take just to make up for the destruction already done to the nutrition in GMO foods. That seems like a Eugenics assault on America to me. Supporting killing our forests, fracking our water and soil, destroying the ozone, refusing natural cures through natural foods that we all know from experience are far superior to GMOs. Yet somebody approved deadly prescription drugs bombarding my mother’s mailbox every day, bombarding the helpless and desperate elderly with commercial after commercial for synthetic for-profit garbage with so many side effects it either kills you or makes you dependent on some other deadly drug.
I present as a witness, the founder of western medicine Hypocrates, who boldly and specifically told us the natural foods, the diet, cures 98% of illness. Instead of trying to kill nature those supporting this should be trying to assist it. Everyday I am paranoid now due to the constant assault on everything human, and Congress and the Supreme Court and in the case of creating terrorists, the Executive branch as well. Looks, sounds, and quacks like genocide to this soldier.
I don’t think it very “conservative” to ignore FDA allowing products so deadly, that their list of side affects take up seventy percent of their commercials. In fact the reason supplements exist is to make up for the lack of nutrition we have in our food from destroying the soils.
But no Congressional law proposed on those. Just stamped “approved”. And you want me to be “respectable”? The evidence is overwhelming as it is obvious (and documented)…
leave supplement alone! we need them because out food supply is so full of poisons and so nutritionally depleted!!!! please do NOT vote for this legislation!! this is supposed to be a free country! let the consumer make their own choices!!!
I want to know how much money the Big Pharma Execs, who now run the FDA, have paid Sen. Durbin to introduce this bill.
Why would our congressmen deny our citizens access to vitamins and minerals necessary to them? We can no longer receive these vitamins and minerals necessary from foods within our markets due to GMO s.
Please stop Sen. Durbin’s frontal attack on our right to use supplements dead in its tracks! We don’t need this new legislation—all we need is for existing laws to be fully enforced. We need our access to nutritional supplements to be protected. Please help preserve American citizens’ rights.
Don’t take away our rights to natural health supplements!
What is the matter with Durbin! IF HE DOESN’T WANT TO TAKE SUPPLMENTS, THEN HE DOESN’T HAVE TO! Leave the rest of us alone! This is NOT what Democrats do!
I will go any alternative route I want to ..keep your filthy hands out of my business
I have hypoPARAthyroidism, and my life depends on calcium, vitamin D and magnesium which I take around the clock, and have found a brand that is accurate dosing for my rare disease, and now the USDA wants to put their greedy paws on their agenda???? They brain wash people into thinking they are protecting our interest. Well my insurance does not cover vitamins as it is, and if you do this, will these supplements then be covered under our insurance…. I seriously doubt it.
Big pharma has enough money making prospects.
It would be interesting to know how much money Senator Durbin receives from the Pharmaceutical industry. I would guess that this guy is risking access to healthy alternatives for the entire country, for a few bucks in his own pocket.
Why not take a closer look at big PhARMA for side effects, if you’re worried about it so much?
I’ve stayed healthy with my supplement for years, unlike some of the FDA approved drugs foisted on me that nearly killed me.
I’ve been a life-long Dem and I don’t recognize you people anymore
Thank you! I just sent the following to the Colorado Senators –
Dear Senator Bennett,
I am writing to encourage you NOT to support the the Dietary Supplement Labeling Act sponsored by Senator Durbin.
The FDA is inept and underfunded as it is and they are woefully failing at protecting the American people from the real dangers of pharmaceuticals. Often, the only thing that people can do to heal themselves from damage done by the pharmaceutical industry is to take supplements. The availability of supplements, which are FOOD, not pharmaceuticals, is vital. Please do NOT support this bill.
Thank you,
Lisa Bloomquist
Lakewood, Colorado
For many years i was on meds
today and for over 10yrs. no longer need them because of vitamins & supplement.
don’t do this ..no need for it
Yes it is time we do all we can to stop the government from dictating to us what we can and cannot do with our own bodies!
And people in this profession want to get on insurances, why? Perplexing when the agenda is the same. To be associated with the government in any way shape or form when practicing medicine is to be naive that they will benefit you more than they will hurt you.
This an absolute outrage!!! Who do you think you are to tell us what to take and not take for supplements!!! You are masking your bill to cover your own a***!! You should be ashamed of yourselves!!!
I am asking you to leave our supplements alone. Your decision will affect mine and others future support for you & your party’s office holdings.
just one more example of how corporate america is getting represented and how the general public no longer has a voice in anything… we are OWNED by big business… and anyone “elected” to a public office is bought and paid for in advance to do their bidding… its only going to get worse… not better until it all falls apart 🙁
What senator Durbin is addressing is already against the law making the legislation very suspicious.
I want to continue buying & deciding what vitamins to take, with out the government
telling me how or when to. Thank you! Becky
Stop attacking supplements, stop stealing our writes.
Reverse the Supreme Court ruling on generic drugs.
I will vote against you if you don’t listen
Please do not pass this bill! So many of us depend on supplements to help us keep illness away. There are plenty of people who do not believe in taking supplements; nutritional supplements are not hurting the pharmaceutical industry. Pharmaceutical companies make tons of money without dealing such a dastardly blow to supplements. Please leave us alone.
Sarah Davis, Georgia
Stop this insanity!
I have used supplements prescribed to me through my doctor, and have had nothing but success. The laws currently in place are enough, but are not enforced. Please don’t waste congressional time on this. Get the FDA to enforce the laws currently in place. I know what the prescription drug companies are charging, and it is criminal. Even with insurance I have a prescription that costs me $100 per month. Another prescription medicine I have been recommended to take is close to $200 per month. It’s outrageous! This is an instance where the drug companies lobbyists are attempting to force the FDA’s hand for their profit. There is nothing in this bill that will help consumers.
I have taken these for years and It is the only things that keep infection away. I have no side effect and I THINK WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE WHAT HELP US THE MOST.
Dear Senator:
When a person buys a supplement, they know that they are getting something traditional, holistic, or New Age. No new warning labels are needed to let us know what we already know. We are using ourselves as guinea pigs to see what works for us. Not all medicines or supplements work the same way on different persons.
Thanks.
How is it that these representatives, who by Constitutional law under Oath are supposed to represent their constituent citizens of the United States, can make an effort to impose limitations upon those of us who choose supplements?
Shouldn’t GMO’s, Aspartame, MSG, Red #40, High Fructose Corn Syrup and Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils, for example, also come under this Federal scrutiny of concern? Shouldn’t there be safety considerations made on behalf of our fellow Americans in regards to this type of consumption also?
If vitamin D3 should be limited in amount of consumption shouldn’t processed foods be as well?
This certainly isn’t our best that we Americans got… to avoid the sun all day eat packaged food and sit in front of the T V to be continuously bombarded with convenience food & drug adds?
REALLY?
May I suggest turning off that box or flat panel T V for a while start thinking upon what’s becoming of Our America take charge and do something to counteract this generally dumbed demoralized state. Consider growing an organic vegetable garden and use heirloom seed.
In regards to the pharmaceutical industries wake of consequential side effects including suicidal and homicidal deaths, Vioxx alone with thousands of deaths by heart failure and stroke, where is the citizen’s representation? Yes it’s off the market but not until thousands of people died.
Just how many people have died from taking nutritional supplements? Are there really any detrimental side effects if properly used?
Pause… silence.
Congress, where’s the promoting of the General Welfare?
It is adamantly clear to me now whom our elected representatives are representing… look no further my fellow americans for an answer because it isn’t you and I. It’s the convenience food and pharmaceutical industries whom they are serving.
We must put an end to the corporate lobbying upon the American Citizens Representatives in Congress. Until then there will only be more introduction of these ridiculous bills and unfortunately sometimes passage into laws that favor these industries.
By turning off the T V you can help lessen the influence of the corporate propaganda machine.
How about a petition to have Sen. Durbin impeached?
I need tings to be left alone. I can afford to buy supplements from US from Australia with no problems/excessive costs. In Australia I cannot find many of the supplements I need because it is a small country… I am very grateful to US. The delivery is quick as well… The supplement accessibility is perfect the way they are at present. PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE ANYTHING!!!!
monsie pickles mrs
Why does this article not offer us a link to the language of the actual bill so we can make our own determination about what the bill ACTUALLY says?
Hi Tony–As of last Friday, the full text of the bill was not available. We’ll update the article when it is. Thanks!
Sen. Durbin What kind of a Democrat are you? I think you’re a paid spokesman for the pharmaceutical industry. How much do they pay you for trying to outlaw supplements in favor of synthetic meds?
As a physician whose life and career were saved by neutriceuticals NOT BigPharma, I wish to say that innovative care does not need BigPharma, just doctors of all kinds with out if the box thinking. That is how progress is made!! Having BigPharma pay the FDA to approve drugs while less expensive OTC cures are available is shameful and wasteful.
Supplement producers are also to blame.
Many are using low quality ingredients and cut back on quality control, just because the customer wants the lowest price and they can still make a good profit that way. Another thing is “dry labbing” : using fake lab reports to market your product.
http://supplement-facts.org/2012-0.php
Or leave out that the product is indigestible when taken orally.
You should read the FDA’s Warning Letters page!!!
Many suppliers deserve to be locked up IMO with all the outrageous claims they write on the internet. The good ones are now suffering as well. I strongly advocate a self-regulating board of some kind, to prevent the real nasty FDA restrictions from happening.
Senator Durbin is only concerned with his own pocket book (like most of them!)! Every time I sign one of these petitions, I get a condescending reply along the lines of Don’t you worry about it little lady, I’m only looking out for your best interest, and I’m gonna do what I think is “best”. These politicians have forgotten they work for US!
Well, well—-Dickie’s at it again. He voted against GMO labeling too. So he’s getting $$$ from
both Monsanto and Big Pharma.
It doesn’t pay to write to these reps/senators–all you receive is a nicely written dictated letter
from them, with all their talking points, written by Monsanto/Big Pharma.
Just IGNORE the government/corporations. They have to keep changing/writing new laws to
keep filling their pants with $$$.
The best thing to do is BOYCOTT, and slam your wallets shut.
U.s Officials Are Tryin To Make ThIs Country A Dictatorship. We Have EveryRight To Put In Our Body What We Wish As Long As It’s Not A Danger To OTHERS.
major boycott of pharma drugs buy nothing dont buy aspirin etc you need a national strike over in usa picket senator durbins home, spread to other countries
Yeah!
When Congress and Rep and Senators and the house all have to live like a normal middle class person that includes having the same benefits we get and the same health care and no outrageous pay then they my be able to make decisions that may impact us…For those overpaid government people who should never have a complaint at all till they walk in our shoes and have to live like we do, its downright sick and I can only hope they clean house and dismiss all of them.