Congressmen Send Letter to Vice President Pence on Regulation of Premium Cigars
On behalf of the premium cigar industry as well as main street retailers and American consumers, Congressman Bill Posey (R-Florida), Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-California) and Congressman Lou Barletta (R-Pennsylvania) sent a letter to Vice President Pence urging the new administration to swiftly suspend enforcement of the FDA’s recently enacted deeming rule. The rule, which went into effect on August 8, 2016 has imposed harsh new regulations on premium cigar retailers, manufacturers and thousands of small businesses across the country. Despite the original congressional intent, the FDA’s imposition of regulations on premium cigars penalizes an industry where youth access to smoking is a non-issue.
The letter points out that the deeming rule regulations were crafted, reviewed and imposed despite significant input from our industry about the potentially disastrous economic impact. It also highlights the Small Business Administration’s warning of “significant deficiencies in FDA’s analysis of the impact regulation would have, particularly as it relates to small businesses.”
The International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers Association, in conjunction with the Cigar Rights of America, applaud this letter and the continued recognition of FDA’s bureaucratic overreach now harming small businesses and the American consumer. We will continue to work with our supporters on Capitol Hill like Congressmen Posey, Hunter and Barletta, and look forward to an open and fruitful dialogue with this new administration. We hope that with the commitment to de-regulation made by President Trump and Vice President Pence, the premium cigar industry can be spared further damage in 2017.
