NPA leader weighs in on what elections mean for industry

WASHINGTON This year’s elections may prove to be a boon to the business of dietary supplements and other natural alternatives, according to John Gay, Natural Products Association executive director and CEO. “This was the most remarkable election in my 25 years in Washington,” he said, “and the effects will be felt almost immediately.”

For example, Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., who must now step down as chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, is seen as a potential positive for the industry, Gay said.

The Energy and Commerce Committee oversees the Food and Drug Administration.

With additional authority unlikely to be granted by the new Congress, NPA expects federal regulators to test the limits of their existing powers. “We support their actions aimed at getting the bad actors out of the market,” Gay said, “but it is a problem if they target the legitimate industry, especially if they go beyond the current law to do so.”

In the Senate, industry champions, such as Sens. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, remain well-positioned “to continue their work,” Gay said. One wild card is Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. “Will he introduce another version of his Dietary Supplement Safety Act, or will he continue to work with Sen. Hatch? That is a key question,” Gay said.