Sen. Toomey Visits Philly And The Lehigh Valley
Sen. Pat Toomey visited Philadelphia and Northampton counties Aug. 7. He started his day at the the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal in Philadelphia, joining Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett, U.S. Senator Bob Casey and U.S. Representatives Jim Gerlach and Bob Brady to discuss the economic benefits and jobs that will be created from the Delaware River dredging project.
He then traveled to Northampton County, where he visited Cigars International in Bethlehem and held a press conference to discuss his sponsorship of S. 1461, the Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2011. The bipartisan bill, introduced by Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), would exempt large or premium cigars from FDA regulation and FDA user fees.
The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act currently allows the FDA to regulate traditional large or premium cigars. Should the FDA choose to begin regulating these cigars, thousands of cigar retailers, importers and distributers stand to be affected. In Pennsylvania, as many as 200 cigar retailers may face increased costs and diminished sales if the FDA were to assert its power.
