Fw: Spam Alert: Let's put the brakes on two bad bills.

July 25, 2005

- Patrick McGrath, Citizens for Health

jmittelman

Sunday, July 24, 2005 9:59 PM

Spam Alert: Let's put the brakes on two bad bills.

Hello, this is Patrick McGrath, Associate Director of Citizens for Health. Two major bills have been introduced in the House of Representatives, and both have enormous implications for health. We need your help to generate a grassroots response.

1. The first bill, the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), is likely to come up for a vote in the House of Representatives this week, probably on Tuesday the 26th. CAFTA is a raw deal for health.

Take action. Tell your member of Congress to oppose CAFTA.

If we settle for CAFTA, we can expect to see fundamental protections for health traded away. For example, under CAFTA drug makers would be allowed to extend their patents on prescription drugs in participating nations, delaying the release of generic versions and ratcheting up already-exorbitant drug prices. Exclusive patenting of traditional, plant-based remedies would be expanded, and multinational corporations could challenge state and local governments in unelected, international tribunals if environmental standards get in the way of their profits.

Take action today: say NO to CAFTA.

2. The second bill, H.R. 3156, otherwise known as the Dietary Supplement Access and Awareness Act, would give the FDA authority to ban virtually any herb or specialty product from the market if it failed to pass an arbitrary risk/benefit analysis.Protect our natural product choice. Send a letter to your Representative. According to the language of H.R. 3156, a supplement should be removed from the market if there is any chance of an alleged risk unless "sufficient" health benefits are proved to the FDA’s satisfaction. This bill is unacceptable and if allowed to progress will severely undermine your health rights. Take action today! Together, we can put an end to a bill that is bad for health, bad for you, and bad for the nation’s pocketbook.

Thank you for taking action on both of these bills. Your voice makes the difference.

Patrick McGrathAssociate DirectorCitizens for Health

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