Congressman Christopher Shays Sponsors H.R. 4282 The Health Freedom Protection Act



Today Congressman Christopher Shays (R-4th, Connecticut), joined 23 members of Congress, 110 dietary supplement companies, public interest groups and supplement distributors in supporting H.R. 4282, The Health Freedom Protection Act. The Congressman supports public access to affordable and quality health care and public access to truthful information on the role of nutrients in treating disease.

In becoming a sponsor of H.R. 4282, Shays 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 Chris Shays has today joined twenty-three 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 Shays 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 Christopher Shays
Congressman Shays and his wife Betsi -- his high school sweetheart -- grew up in Darien. After serving in Fiji as Peace Corps volunteers, they spent 27 years in Stamford and now reside in Bridgeport. He is a graduate of Principia College and received his MBA and MPA from New York University. Since 1987, he has been representing the residents of the Fourth District of Connecticut. In more than three decades of public service, he has distinguished himself as an independent advocate for common-sense social and fiscal policy. Shays is Vice Chairman of the Government Reform Committee, Chairman of its Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats, and International Relations and a member of the Homeland Security Committee as well as a member of the Financial Services Committee. He has also been a committed advocate for good government as the driving force behind strengthening our nation's8217;s campaign finance laws.

About the Health Freedom Protection Act
The Health Freedom Protection Act will prevent the FDA from censoring Americans's 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, Randy Kuhl, Virgil Goode, Jack Kingston, Scott Garrett, Marilyn Musgrave, John Hostettler, Michael Bilirakis, and Jeb Bradley. For more information, visit www.StopFDACensorship.org





Congressman Christopher Shays Sponsors H.R. 4282 The Health Freedom Protection Act