FW: this has to do with our supplements

June 25, 2010

Sent: Friday, June 25, 2010 1:58 PM

Subject: this has to do with our supplements

House, Senate Conference Rejects Expanded FTC Powers

Victory for NPA, Industry, Thanks to Strong Grassroots, Lobbying Effort

Published Friday, June 25, 2010 7:00 am

In another victory for Natural Products Association (NPA) members and the

industry, early this morning, conferees on the Wall Street Reform bill (S.

3217) decided not to include in the final legislation sweeping new powers

for the Federal Trade Commission. Such additional authority very likely

would have led to advertising rules on the industry that would have undercut

the protections of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA).

" This has been one of the top legislative priorities for the NPA for the

last six months, " said Gay, NPA's executive director and CEO. " I am

proud of the way our members responded to our calls to write their senators

and representatives, and to urge their customers to do the same. I am also

proud of the hard work put in by our staff and lobby team. Good grassroots

and good lobbying are a powerful combination. "

In the last two months, over 28,000 messages were sent to Capitol Hill

through the association's web site, www.NPAinfo.org.

Since identifying this issue as a potential threat to the industry in

December, NPA joined together with what eventually became a coalition of

over fifty national trade associations. Through the coalition, NPA lobbied

members of Congress, and ran ads in Capitol Hill publications. In addition,

NPA was by far the leading organization in producing grassroots contacts

with senators and representatives. " Some of our members might have gotten

tired of hearing from us on this issue, but sometimes in Washington

persistence pays off, " said Gay.

" Like any legislative victory involving a broad coalition, this battle was

won thanks to a number of factors, " said Gay, " but NPA members can and

should claim a large share of the credit. Their response was tremendous. "

Gay urged the industry not to grow complacent. " This is a great victory,

but the war isn't over. Those forces on Capitol Hill that want to

overregulate us are still out there, planning their next move. We need to

remain vigilant. "

Recommended Posts