Pallone

Congress Urged to Grant FDA Authority Over Tobacco Products

 EDISON, NEW JERSEY – Representative Frank Pallone (D-NJ) spoke to students at James Monroe Elementary School today and explained how an insidious new generation of tobacco products is threatening efforts to reduce tobacco use in the United States.  At the event, Pallone and public health organizations issued a new report about how tobacco manufacturers take advantage of the lack of government regulation to design and market products that recruit new youth users, create and sustain addiction to nicotine, and discourage current kids from quitting. Responding to declining smoking rates, tobacco manufacturers are finding novel ways to entice new users, especially children, and discourage current users from quitting.

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ– If Congress passes legislation to give the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority to regulate tobacco products, the new law would save the state $1.1 billion in tobacco-related health care costs by keeping 65,700 New Jersey kids from becoming new smokers, according to a new report released today by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

Federal Legislators React to New EPA Inspector General Report on

Ringwood Superfund Site

Neptune, NJ – Public health officials and state leaders today applauded U.S. Representative Frank Pallone’s (R-NJ) efforts to protect New Jersey’s kids from tobacco by doing everything he can to pass legislation before Congress to grant the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority over tobacco. 

Newark, NJ – United States Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and United States Representative Frank Pallone today joined with child health advocates and beneficiaries of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP) to call on Congress to approve the reauthorizing measures that will be before both the House and Senate this week. In New Jersey, S-CHIP, known as FamilyCare, provides health benefits for 126,000 children and over 80,000 adults, who would otherwise not have coverage.

Local healthcare advocates along with over a hundred supporters gathered today for a Tobacco & Health Forum at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital to urge U.S. Representative Frank Pallone to pass legislation this summer to grant the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority over tobacco. The proposed legislation would require that tobacco companies disclose the contents of tobacco products and remove harmful ingredients; crack down on tobacco marketing and sales to kids; stop tobacco companies from misleading the public about health risks of their products; and require larger, more effective health warnings on cigarette packs.  Identical, bipartisan legislation granting FDA this authority (H.R. 1108) has been introduced by U.S. Representatives Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Tom Davis (R-VA). 

Congressman Frank Pallone is betting on the Rutgers Women's Basketball team to win the Women's Basketball Championship game tonight against the University of Tennessee. If Rutgers wins, Republican Congressman John Duncan will give Pallone a basket of products manufactured in Tennessee. But if the University of Tennessee wins, Pallone will send something unique to Rutgers. Pallone, whose district includes New Brunswick, has pledged to treat Duncan to several "fat cat" sandwiches from RU's "grease trucks" and a case of Jersey tomatoes grown on Rutgers' campus.

Frank Pallone is the most powerful member of the New Jersey congressional delegation, according to a new Senate/House Power Rankings list from the non-partisan Congress.org.  Pallone, who became the Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce's Subcommittee on Health when Democrats took control of the House in January, is ranked #17 out of 439.

Frank Lautenberg ranks #31 out of 100 U.S. Senators (25 out of 49 Democrats), and Bob Menendez is listed at #72 -- 41st out of 49 Democrats.