Sen. Heinrich gives his address
Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., addresses attendees during breakfast at Natural Products Day.
Heinrich said his advocacy of the industry stemmed from personal conviction. “One of the first things my wife and I did when we graduated form college and settled in Albuquerque was to join a health food co-op. My wife ended up becoming a member of the board,” he said. “We have a supportive population in New Mexico interested in natural products and herbal supplements. We have Pueblo Indians growing herbs that end up in some of the products in your industry,” he added.
“We need to embrace change, to take a different approach to health care,” he said. “I am so excited about this business because it represents a sea change in the way the American people thinks about health care. The products your industry makes are some of the things Americans think about when they want control in their lives.
“We have to get ahead of these looming health care issues. If we just try to treat diabetes (or other chronic diseases) the costs of that are going to crush us,” he said.