Letters of Support

In becoming a sponsor of H.R. 4282, Bilirakis is advocating a change in the law to ensure that consumers have access to truthful nutrient-disease treatment information in the marketplace. That change will enable consumers to obtain full information at the point of sale concerning inexpensive, safe and effective nutrients such as fish oil (omega-3 fatty acids) to reduce the risk of sudden death heart attack; calcium to reduce the risk of bone fractures; and glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate to treat osteoarthritis. The FDA has in place an absolute ban on the making of nutrient-disease treatment claims. The ban contributes to 110,000 preventable sudden death heart attacks each year (FDA suppression of the omega-3 fatty acid claim); to tens of thousands of bone fracture cases each year (FDA suppression of the calcium claim); and to 20 million cases of osteoarthritis (FDA suppression of the glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate claim) that could be lessened or eliminated if all Americans made the necessary dietary changes.

“Congressman Michael Bilirakis has today joined twenty-one other of his colleagues in support of a bill that will end FDA and FTC censorship of vital nutrient-disease information,” said Jonathan Emord (www.emord.com), Chairman of the Coalition to End FDA and FTC Censorship and Author of H.R. 4282. “By this act Congressman Bilirakis has proven himself a champion for health freedom who will not sacrifice the health and freedom of the American people to protect the profits and interests of the pharmaceutical industry.”

About Congressman Michael Bilirakis
Michael Bilirakis, Republican Congressman from Tarpon Springs in Florida’s Ninth District, was first elected to Congress on November 2, 1982, and has been reelected to each succeeding Congress. He credits strong traditional values, close family ties and avid community involvement for his victories in 1982 and in subsequent reelections. In his terms in Congress, Bilirakis has carried those personal values to the national forum, protecting Social Security, Medicare and federal retirement programs; expanding access to quality health care; promoting disease research; improving education; strengthening our national defense; ensuring congressional accountability; and supporting a balanced federal budget. His committee assignments in the 109th Congress include membership on the Energy and Commerce Committee, where he serves as Vice-Chairman of the full Committee and a member of the Health, Telecommunications and the Internet, and Energy and Air Quality Subcommittees. He is also the Vice-Chairman of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee and Chairman of the Oversight Subcommittee. As Vice-Chairman of the full Energy and Commerce Committee, Bilirakis plays a major role in crafting national health policy.

About the Health Freedom Protection Act
The Health Freedom Protection Act will prevent the FDA from censoring Americans’ right to know about truthful, health-enhancing benefits of foods and dietary ingredients. Congressmen Ron Paul, Walter Jones, John Duncan, Peter DeFazio, Roscoe Bartlett, Dan Burton, Jeff Miller, and Rob Bishop introduced the Health Freedom Protection Act (H.R. 4282) on Wednesday, November 9, 2005. Since November 9, the following additional members of Congress have become sponsors: Lynn Woolsey, Jo Ann S. Davis, C. L. Butch Otter, Chris Cannon, Dana Rohrabacher, Thomas G. Tancredo, Cynthia McKinney, Rand y Kuhl, Virgil Goode, Jack Kingston, Scott Garrett, Marilyn Musgrave and John Hostettler. For more information, visitwww.StopFDACensorship.org