The caucus is being relaunched in the 119th Congress under the leadership of Reps. Dr. Mike Kennedy, M.D. (R-UT) and Marc Veasey (D-TX), who will serve as co-chairs.
“Utah has played a major role in the dietary supplement industry, and that leadership deserves to be represented in Congress,” Rep. Dr. Kennedy said. “This caucus is a way to support thoughtful discussion around health while ensuring people have the freedom and information they need to make choices that work for them—without being burdened by unnecessary regulatory hurdles."
Priorities
The Dietary Supplement Caucus serves as a nonpartisan forum for members of Congress and their staff to hear from scientific experts, healthcare practitioners and industry stakeholders.
Educational briefings where the caucus serves as honorary co-host will provide up-to-date information on issues affecting the supplement sector, helping inform balanced policymaking, according to a statement by the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), one of four trade associations that have collectively supported the relaunching of the caucus.
Key policy areas likely to be addressed by the caucus in the 119th Congress include:
- Modernizing the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA)
- Expanding eligibility of dietary supplements under Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs)
- Supporting increased FDA resources for oversight and enforcement
Spokespersons for the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) said the organization wants DSHEA modernization to include improved transparency. CHPA said that would entail mandatory product listing so that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, consumers and health care providers could identify dietary supplements and differentiate them from dangerous and illegal ingredients.
CHPA also noted that the FDA’s interpretation of DSHEA’s “preclusion provision” limits supplement manufacturers from considering the use of safe and beneficial ingredients, such as N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) and nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), for use in future products and that this provision needs to be revised.
Graham Rigby, president and CEO of the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA), said the organization wants the caucus to narrowly empower the FDA to enforce against marketers of drug-spiked products masquerading as dietary supplements.
“We’re also advocating for reform of the drug preclusion provision to protect access to safe botanical ingredients and for tariff relief on botanicals that can’t be grown domestically,” Rigby said.
AHPA said it supports increased FDA staffing — especially more investigators — to better enforce existing laws. It has proposed new “prohibited act” language to help the FDA target marketers of unlawful products without threatening legitimate dietary supplement companies.
“Enforcement should focus on real risks, not regulatory overreach,” Rigby said.
Rep. Veasey added that the Dietary Supplement Caucus provides a unique opportunity for bipartisan cooperation on issues that matter to millions of Americans.
“From public education to regulatory transparency, this forum will help Congress engage more meaningfully with an industry that touches households across the country,” he said.
The first briefing of the Caucus will be on July 23.
