House Committee Plans FDA Tobacco Vote

Source from:  nacsonline.com March 21, 2008  03/24/2008

Although Congress remains on its spring recess through next week, NACS learned that the House Energy and Commerce Committee is planning a committee mark-up the first week of April (a meeting during which the committee considers amendments and votes on legislation) on a bill granting the Food and Drug Administration with regulatory authority over tobacco retailers. To date, the number of retailers who have contacted their members of Congress to express concerns regarding this legislation has been very effective, as several representatives have made the issues of the convenience and petroleum retailing industry their own and have pursued legislative changes to fix the retailing section of the legislation. NACS will continue to work with such representatives in an effort to affect positive changes to the bill and we encourage you to continue your efforts to make your interests known. Clearly, the grasstops outreach from retailers to elected officials is having an influence on the process. NACS also continues to press for cosponsors to the Credit Card Fair Fee Act, H.R. 5546. Retailer involvement is critical to our success. To help you communicate with your legislators, visit "Take Action! Write to Congress, which provides NACS members with access to a user-friendly system that sends letters to Congress on the industry's top issues. From here, you can send a letter to your representative asking them to fix the retailing provisions in the FDA tobacco bill, to cosponsor the Credit Card Fair Fee Act, and to cosponsor legislation to remove frivolous liability associated with the printing of credit card receipts. In addition, when you ask your representative to cosponsor H.R. 5546, you will at the same time send a letter to your senators alerting them to the negative effect credit card fees have on your business. Congress will not be back in Washington until week after next and we need them prepared to take action on our issues. Enditem