Swoon

The note below was written in response to Things Can Change, Perhaps. I know it was written by a staffer, but still. Happy Monday to me. __________________________________ Dear Ms. Stone:  Thank you so much for your kind words about my work in Congress.  I appreciated reading your blog post, which mentioned my work on  public health issues and tobacco use in particular.  Smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in America, and I have spent  my career in Congress working for legislation to reduce tobacco use and allow  regulation of tobacco by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  After decades  working to grant FDA oversight of one of the most lethal consumer products on the  market, I am delighted that the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act  was signed into law on June 22 (P.L. 111-31).   My legislation gives the FDA a comprehensive and flexible set of  authorities to bring meaningful and long-overdue changes to the  manufacture, promotion and sale of tobacco.  It will end the marketing  of tobacco to kids, stop manufacturers from calling cigarettes "light" or  "less dangerous" when they are not, and remove toxic ingredients such as  formaldehyde, benzene, and radioactive elements from cigarettes.   The FDA's new functions will be fully funded through user fees paid by the  tobacco industry.   I hope you will visit www.waxman.house.gov  and http://democrats.energycommerce.house.gov to learn more a bout P.L. 111-31 and other issues I'm working on.  You can count on me to continue to work for the goals  we share, and I look forward to staying in touch with you  on issues of concern. With kind regards, I am                                                                                       Sincerely,                                                                                       HENRY A. WAXMAN                                                                                       Member of Congress