WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT), member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), today met with Dr. Stephen Hahn, nominee to be Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Following their meeting, Senator Romney released the following statement:
“As a physician specializing in lung cancer, Dr. Hahn understands the urgency in addressing the vaping epidemic that continues to put our nation’s young people at serious risk of nicotine addiction. He expressed to me his support for protecting our youth from harmful tobacco products and our proposal to ensure e-cigarettes and vape devices cannot be adulterated with harmful substances. I am encouraged by his commitment to prioritizing research into the long-term effects of nicotine and look forward to working with him to solve this public health crisis.”
Background:
- In September, Senators Romney and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) introduced the Ending New Nicotine Dependencies (ENND) Act, which would regulate e-cigarette standards and protect public health by prohibiting non-tobacco flavors and ensuring that electronic nicotine delivery systems are tamper-proof.
- In June, Senators Romney and Mark Udall (D-NM) introduced the Smoke-Free Schools Act of 2019 to ban e-cigarette use in educational and childcare facilities.
- In April, Romney helped introduce the bipartisan Tobacco to 21 Act, legislation that would prohibit the sale of tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, to anyone under the age of 21.