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This letter was sent by OpenCongress user sar1906 on December 16, 2011 in opposition to S.3002 Dietary Supplement Safety Act. Privacy setting: PUBLIC
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S.3002 Dietary Supplement Safety Act
I am writing as your constituent in the 3rd Congressional district of Maryland. I oppose S.3002 - Dietary Supplement Safety Act, and am tracking it using OpenCongress.org, the free public resource website for government transparency and accountability.

Sincerely,
Sebastian ramirez
This letter was a reply from the office of Rep. John Sarbanes [D, MD-3] on December 20, 2011.
Reply from Congressman John Sarbanes
Thank you for contacting my office. I look forward to responding
shortly.

In the meantime, please subscribe to my periodic newsletter, the
Sarbanes Standard at http://sarbanes.house.gov/subscribe.asp, so that I
am able to provide you with important updates about the Congress
throughout the year.

Sincerely,

John Sarbanes
This letter was a reply from the office of Rep. John Sarbanes [D, MD-3] on January 06, 2012.
Reply from Congressman John Sarbanes















January 6, 2012







Dear Mr. Ramirez:



Thank you for contacting me about dietary and nutritional supplements.
I appreciate hearing from you and I welcome the opportunity to respond.



It is my view that American consumers should be able to make informed
decisions about the safety and effectiveness of pharmaceuticals and
health products. As such, I support reasonable measures that will
ensure consumer access to information, as well as a regulatory
framework that adequately protects consumers. The House Committee on
Energy and Commerce is the committee with jurisdiction over food and
drug safety issues. Although I do not currently serve on this
committee, I will be sure to keep your views in mind should the full
House of Representatives consider any relevant legislation in the
future.



Again, I appreciate hearing from you. Please do not hesitate to
contact me about other issues of concern to you in the future


Sincerely,

John Sarbanes

Member of Congress
This letter was a reply from the office of Sen. Barbara Mikulski [D, MD] on January 20, 2012.
Update On Protect IP Act




Dear Mr. Ramirez:



Knowing of your recent interest in the PROTECT IP Act

(S. 938), I am writing to update you on the status of this bill.



I am happy that the Senate will not vote on this bill in the coming
days. While illegal downloading of movies, TV shows and music is a
serious issue, the solution can't be worse than the problem. Any
efforts to strengthen the protection of copyrighted materials must be
well planned, avoid unintended consequences, and must not stifle free
speech or innovation.



I will not vote for the PROTECT IP Act in its current form. I believe in
the Constitution and free speech. Congress needs to go back to the
drawing board to fix the problems with the bill.



Knowing of your views is helpful to me, and I will keep them in mind as
Congress continues to debate this issue.



Thanks once again for writing. Please let me know if I can be of
assistance in the future.


Sincerely,
Barbara A. Mikulski
United States Senator


Please do not respond directly to this e-mail. The originating e-mail
account is not monitored.
If you would like to get in touch with me again, please visit the
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This letter was a reply from the office of Sen. Barbara Mikulski [D, MD] on January 30, 2012.
Dietary Supplements Labeling Act




Dear Mr. Ramirez:



Thank you for getting in touch with me about labeling and regulation of
dietary supplements. It's good to hear from you.



Many people rely on dietary supplements - which can include vitamins,
minerals, herbs, or other plants - to enhance their health. These
products are widely available in the United States, and I have heard
from a number of Marylanders who tell me that these products have helped
them live healthier and happier lives.



Under current law, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible
for regulating dietary supplements differently than it regulates foods,
prescriptions or over-the-counter drugs. Under the Dietary Supplement
Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA) - which I supported - dietary
supplement companies are responsible for ensuring that their products
are safe before they are marketed. The FDA is responsible for taking
action if there is reason to believe that an unsafe dietary supplement
is on the market. I supported this law because I believe that we must
strike a balance between the need to protect consumers from unsafe
products, the need to ensure access to vital dietary supplements that
people depend upon, and the need to ensure that we regulate without
strangulating.



I understand your concerns about the Dietary Supplement Labeling Act of
2011 (S. 1310). This legislation would require manufacturers to
register their dietary supplements and provide additional information to
the FDA, including ingredient lists and copies of labels. It would also
task the FDA with clarifying which products should be regulated as food
and which should be regulated as dietary supplements. S. 1310 is
currently pending in the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor,
and Pensions. I will keep your thoughts in mind as we continue to work
on this important issue.



Thanks again for writing. Please let me know if I can be of assistance
in the future.


Sincerely,
Barbara A. Mikulski
United States Senator


Please do not respond directly to this e-mail. The originating e-mail
account is not monitored.
If you would like to get in touch with me again, please visit the
comments page of my website here
.
If you would like to get regular updates, please sign up for my
E-Newsletter here .
Please follow me on Twitter and
Facebook .

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