List of Government Officials, Agencies and Organizations to send our letters of concern

[Monie]

I've written letters to my senators and reps and will even send one to my governor, but I feel we need some help from those "in the know" on where else we should direct our letters.

If you have a contact and address or email that you feel would benefit us to write to, please list that info here. Please include the name, title, organization and contact info (email or physical address).

I believe this goes without saying, but please be considerate in the information listed and only include information that is public record. There are many such as myself that are ready to do what we can, but just do not have the information or points of contact.


Hope to have a huge list and writers cramp!

Please no OT here.

 

[Bill Godshall]

Here are phone and fax numbers for the Senate HELP Cmte members, as well as an e-mail address to contact all members of the committee.

Senate HELP Committee Phone Fax

Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA), 202-224-5465 202-224-5128
Chairman
Christopher J. Dodd (D-CT) 202-224-2823 202-224-1083
Tom Harkin (D-IA) 202-224-3254 202-224-9369
Barbara A. Mikulski (D-MD) 202-224-4654 202-224-8858
Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) 202-224-5521 202-224-2852
Patty Murray (D-WA) 202-224-2621 202-224-0238
Jack Reed (D-RI) 202-224-4642 202-224-4680
Bernie Sanders (I-VT) 202-224-5141 202-228-0776
Sherrod Brown (D-OH) 202-224-2315 202-224-6519
Robert P Casey, Jr (D-PA) 202-224-6324 202-228-0604
Kay Hagan (D-NC) 202-224-6342 202-228-2563
Jeff Merkley (D-OR) 202-224-3753 202-228-3997

Michael Enzi (R-WY), 202-224-5375 202-224-6510
Ranking Member
Judd Gregg (R-NH) 202-224-3324 202-224-4952
Lamar Alexander (R-TN) 202-224-4944 202-228-3398
Richard Burr (R-NC) 202-224-3154 202-228-2981
Johnny Isakson (R-GA) 202-224-3643 202-228-0724
John McCain (R-AZ) 202-224-2235 202-228-2862
Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) 202-224-6665 202-224-5301
Orrin G. Hatch (R-UT) 202-224-5251 202-224-6331
Pat Roberts (R-KS) 202-224-4774 202-224-3514
Tom Coburn (R-OK) 202-224-5754 202-224-6008

To send an e-mail to all members help_comments@help.senate.gov

 

[LuckyCharm]

If it'll help any, here's a list of cosponsors to the House bill. I'm afraid I'm just trying to catch up here....

Here is the letter I just sent to Norm Dicks:

Representative Dicks, as a loyal constituent, I am deeply shocked that you would cosponsor Waxman's tobacco bill, which is supported by Philip Morris and opposed by the FDA! An April 16th article on TheHill.com by Jeff Stier, associate director, American Council on Science and Health, titled "Waxman’s anti-smoking bill may do more harm than good," points out that this bill could effectively kill proven safer smoking alternatives, and by regulating nicotine content, could actually lead to MORE smoking of tobacco products! In other words, it is set to backfire big-time, if your intent is to improve public health.

I, sir, am a case study in the effectiveness of the new so-called e-cigarettes, an electronic vapor-delivery system that may or may not contain nicotine. And I am one of the many "accidental quitters" who happened upon this safer alternative and abruptly quit smoking after a 30+-year, pack-a-day habit. I used to shush doctors when they'd start to talk to me about quitting. "I don't even want to hear it, you're wasting your breath and my time." I had NO intention of quitting smoking last month -- until I received my first e-cig. Since then, it's been nothing but positive. No more losing sleep from lying awake at night hacking. No more waking in the middle of the night and going on the porch for a smoke. No more fire hazard from lighters. No more ashes, burn holes, smelly butts to discard.

Representative Dicks, my story is typical of thousands of others. Finally a way to give up all those toxic chemicals and quit polluting the atmosphere, and still satisfy a craving we're going to yield to one way or the other. Scores of doctors and scientists have come out in support of e-cigs. The only thing their prohibition would do is keep lining Big tobacco's pockets.

We currently hope and pray the bill doesn't now pass in the Senate. If it is possible, I urge you to withdraw your cosponsorship, or at least not to support any such regressive regulation in the future.

Very respectfully,

I shall now write another letter, to each of my two senators, in a similar vein. I will point out how disappointed I was in Dicks' decision to support the bill, and how my vote in 2010 will depend largely on my senators' support for measures that truly do support the average citizen rather than monopolies like Big Tobacco.

I urge everyone to look up your senators and tell them your personal story. It's gonna take every one of us to win this, people! Hint: I'm going to fax mine. That way, it can't be shuffled into a digital "pile" based on keywords and never read. Somebody has to physically remove it from the machine. They have to touch it and have to look at it. I am willing to fax your letters to your senators, too -- just PM me and I'll give you an email address to send them to me. Helps if you get your senators' fax numbers, too... thanks.

Vape on,

~~Cheryl

 

[galaxywd]

LuckyCharm,

that is one of the best letters I have seen anyone write in regards to this yet. E-mail or PM me, I want to see if there is anything we can do to work together on the campaign. We have a bunch of resources on our side we don't water down on the forum, anyhow. Looking forward to hearing from you.

 

[K.P.]

I have not used this (or any other Internet faxing) but http://www.myfax.com has been recommended several times in other forums for people without access to a real fax machine. $10 for a month of faxing, no hassle cancellation when you're done with it (apparently).

 

[LuckyCharm]

I have not used this (or any other Internet faxing) but http://www.myfax.com has been recommended several times in other forums for people without access to a real fax machine. $10 for a month of faxing, no hassle cancellation when you're done with it (apparently).

Thanks, K.P. Certainly if people prefer to send their faxes directly, by all means -- just git 'r done! But if you'd rather keep that $10 toward your next bottle of juice or whatever, I'm offering as a public service. It doesn't cost me anything to fax long distance. And my fax modem could use the workout -- sometimes it feels neglected.

~~Cheryl

 

[walkstheplanes]

I'm going to write California's Senators in light of recent events. Sigh, I just want to enjoy my E-Cigs and get on with my life.

 

[LuckyCharm]

I'm going to write California's Senators in light of recent events. Sigh, I just want to enjoy my E-Cigs and get on with my life.

Do your senators have a local office in your town that you could stop by and drop them off? Sometimes I don't trust that emails actually get seriously read.

I had to call one of my senators the other day on an unrelated issue, so while I was on the phone with the aide I also put in my plug for e-cigs. The aide had no idea what I was talking about, so I briefly explained it. She sounded intrigued, and I got the feeling that this was one message that would really get passed on.

~~Cheryl

 

[EddieBair]

I just sent off an email variation of the petition to each of my two Senators (Arkansas), my House rep, one to the "FDA lady" at Heather.Zawalick@fda.hhs.gov, and finally one to President Obama... the greeting was "Dear Mr. President, current smoker, wink, wink," we all know he still puffs.

I am a 30-year pack a day smoker who has tried the gum, patch and pills, none worked. I sure hope this gets sorted out in our favor, I am looking forward to trying and using this product... did my homework (reading here in this forum), went to the smokeanywhere website to place and order only to be told they are waiting on the out come of the big-government interference machine to get their heads screwed on straight!

 

[LuckyCharm]

President Obama... the greeting was "Dear Mr. President, current smoker, wink, wink," we all know he still puffs.

I am a big fan of our current President, and I would ask that we not make assumptions regarding his habits. If he says he's quit, I have no reason to disbelieve him. He seems to speak his mind regarding every other issue, so why wouldn't he be honest about this?

~~Cheryl

 

[kr0nicle]

so why wouldn't he be honest about this?

~~Cheryl

do not be so sure.

 

[LuckyCharm]

do not be so sure.

His every move is tracked, chronicled, and analyzed, down to where he takes his wife for dinner. If he were still smoking, you can bet it would be leaked! But I sure hope someone turns him on to e-cigs. I'll be the first volunteer.

~~Cheryl

 

[Monie]

Lets keep this thread on track. No more OT please.

 

[Bill Godshall]

If you haven't done so yet, in the next week please contact Senate HELP Cmte members (contact info posted on the first page of this this thread) and urge them to "amend the Kennedy FDA tobacco bill to allow e-cigarettes and other smokefree tobacco/nicotine products to remain on the market and to be reasonably and responsibly regulated as a separate category of tobacco products."

This afternoon, the Senate HELP Cmte scheduled a markup session on Kennedy's yet-to-be introduced FDA tobacco bill for next Tuesday. Here's the notice.


From: Kolinski, Joe (HELP Committee)
Sent: Tuesday, May 05, 2009 1:40 PM
To:
Subject: 05122009 Executive Session Notice

EXECUTIVE SESSION NOTICE

To: All Committee Members
Subject: The following Agenda to be Considered
Date: Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Time: 2:30 P.M.
Place: 430 Dirksen Senate Office Building


AGENDA

1. S. ______, Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act
2. Any nominations cleared for action

Joseph R. Kolinski
Chief Clerk

May 5, 2009

Joe Kolinski
Chief Clerk
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
202-224-3656

 

[Vocalek]

Here is what I emailed to President Obama:

PLEASE DON'T FORCE ME TO START SMOKING AGAIN.

I have Attention Deficit Disorder. I am 63 years old and have pre-hypertension. Therefore I cannot take the only FDA-approved drugs to treat ADD (amphetamines). Nicotine keeps my brain functioning so that I can lead a normal life.

Now that the FDA has blocked shipments, when my electronic cigarette's nicotine cartridges run out, I will have to choose between being dysfunctional or smoking tobacco. I don't want to start wheezing and coughing up phlegm again, but I can't stand being unable to drive a car, read, or work. Please don't allow the FDA to do this to me!

Part of the FDA mission is to protect public health. If the FDA has proof that it is SAFER for me to smoke cigarettes, they must publish that proof. If they DON'T KNOW, then please make them get out of the way and let me control my own health. I suspect that if inhaling nicotine vapor were more dangerous than smoking, users of the FDA-approved Nicotrol inhaler would be dying at a faster rate than continuing smokers.

 

[LuckyCharm]

reasonably and responsibly regulated as a separate category of tobacco products

?
If they succeed in regulating them at all, won't that automatically subject e-cigs to the whole testing/stalling process? Shouldn't we specify that e-cigs not be banned or confiscated during the verification process?

Think about how backward this is from our judicial system. In that, a suspect is innocent until proven guilty; with the FDA, it seems everything is hazardous until proven safe. Don't they know it's impossible to prove a negative? You can't prove that ANYTHING will never result in harm to anybody -- people have OD'ed on plain water, for cryin' out loud!

Please clarify before I write/call -- again. I want to be sure to say the right thing!

Thanks,

~~Cheryl

 

[Bill Godshall]

Per LuckyCharm's inquiry, Waxman's FDA tobacco bill (HR 1256) contains a 4 year moratorium for small companies to compy with many of the regulations.

Last year, Waxman agreed to this side deal with small tobacco companies (in exchange for their endorsement of the bill), which correctly complained that the legislation would otherwise drive them out of business because it would cost them far more (per package of tobacco) to comply with the regulations than it would cost high volume companies like PM, Reynolds and Lorillard.

While this four year moratorium for small companies is not likely to be in Kennedy's bill, it will be in the final version of the legislation.

 

[LuckyCharm]

Waxman's FDA tobacco bill (HR 1256) contains a 4 year moratorium for small companies to compy with many of the regulations.

So, no matter what happens, we get a pass for at least 4 years? Will that also keep shipments from being confiscated by customs?

While this four year moratorium for small companies is not likely to be in Kennedy's bill, it will be in the final version of the legislation.

If that's a "for sure," it's a bit of comfort, anyway. Thanks Bill!

~~Cheryl

 

[Bill Godshall]

Nothing is "for sure" in Congress, but I'd give it a 99% likelihood. But we still need to get e-cigarettes amended into Kennedy's bill, or the 4 year moratorium won't matter.

 

[LuckyCharm]

But we still need to get e-cigarettes amended into Kennedy's bill, or the 4 year moratorium won't matter.

Okay, so who exactly do we need to contact? Our own legislators? Ted Kennedy? Some committee?

I would do all, but don't want to start spamming everybody and alienating them.

Thanks,

~~Cheryl