When I wrote both of my US Senators about the bill now in front of the committee, I have had one response.
Dear Mr. Fickter:
Thank you for taking the time to contact me regarding S. 9, the Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2019. I appreciate hearing from you about this issue.
In 2009, passage of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, referred to as the "Tobacco Control Act," granted the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the power to regulate tobacco products. In April 2010, the FDA announced its intention to regulate cigars under their new authority, and on April 25, 2014, the FDA issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that outlined their intentions to regulate several products, including cigars. On May 5, 2016, the FDA completed this process by issuing a final rule that extends their regulatory oversight to these products. This final rule did extend FDA regulations to cigars, and did not provide an exemption for premium cigars.
Many individuals have expressed concerns about FDA regulation of premium cigars. They feel the Tobacco Control Act is primarily meant to regulate tobacco products that are frequently sought by children, and that FDA regulation of premium cigars will harm the premium cigar industry and substantially limit the ability of adult consumers to access a legal product.
In response to those concerns, Senator Marco Rubio of Florida has introduced S. 9, the Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2019. I support this legislation, which would clarify the Tobacco Control Act by exempting traditional large and premium cigars from the FDA's regulatory authority. This bill would allow the FDA to maintain their important authority over tobacco products that are more easily obtained by children, while protecting the rights of consumers to purchase a legal product. S. 9 was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, of which I am a member. Please be assured that I will continue to advocate for this important legislation.
While I understand the serious threat that tobacco products pose to the health of our Nation's youth and was a cosponsor of the Tobacco Control Act, premium cigars are not marketed to children, nor are premium cigars easily obtained by children due to their higher cost relative to products such as cigarettes. I remain open to reasonable proposals that might further balance the ability of adults to purchase a legal product with our need to fight underage consumption of tobacco products.
As always, I appreciate your views, thoughts and concerns as they assist me in understanding what is important to the people of Pennsylvania. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future about this or any other matter of importance to you.
For more information on this or other issues, I encourage you to visit my website,
http://casey.senate.gov. I hope you will find this online office a comprehensive resource to stay up-to-date on my work in Washington, request assistance from my office, or share with me your thoughts on the issues that matter most to you and to Pennsylvania.
Sincerely,
Bob Casey
United States Senator