Rep. Mia Love joins changing leadership ranks of Dietary Supplement Caucus
Chaffetz joined the House of Representatives in 2009, that same year as the other DSC co-chair in the House, Rep. Jared Polis, D-CO. Polis’s seat will come open in 2018 as he has chosen to leave the House for a bid to become Colorado’s next governor. Another co-chair in the Senate is longtime industry stalwart Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-UT, who at age 83 is nearing the end of his career, so more change of the caucus leadership will be forthcoming. The one co-chair who can be expected to continue for the foreseeable future is Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-NM, who at age 45 was elected to his first term in the Senate in 2012. Sen. Heinrich is reportedly preparing to campaign for reelection in 2018, and his seat is considered to be a Democratic lock.
Big business in Utah
The DSC is a bipartisan congressional group of legislators, who promote discussions among lawmakers about the benefits of dietary supplements, provide tips and insights for better health and wellness, and promote research about the health care cost savings these products provide. Rep. Love represents Utah’s 4th District, a region in which the manufacture and marketing of dietary supplements is by some measures the largest industry in the private sector.
"I'm excited to begin work on behalf of the more 68 percent of Americans who take dietary supplements every year, " Love said. "The industry is also a crucial part of Utah's economy. Not only do dietary supplement companies provide jobs and opportunities in my state, they give consumers the opportunity to make educated choices to fill critical nutrient gaps and achieve better health.”
Support of trade associations
Trade association officials lined up to praise Rep. Love’s ascension to the co-chair position of the 32-member strong DSC.
"We greatly appreciate Rep. Love volunteering her valuable time and expertise to lead this Caucus in representing the regulated dietary supplement industry on Capitol Hill," said Michael McGuffin, president of the American Herbal Products Association.
"As more than 170 million Americans take dietary supplements each year, the Dietary Supplement Caucus serves as an important resource to ensure legislators and their staff learn more about the wellness benefits of dietary supplements and the regulatory complexities of our booming industry," said Steve Mister, president and CEO of the Council for Responsible Nutrition.
Loren Israelsen, president of the United Natural Products Alliance, which is based in Salt Lake City, said, "UNPA is thrilled that Rep. Love is taking on this important new leadership role. We look forward to working with her to help grow the $41 billion national dietary supplement industry, which includes more than $13 billion in supplement business activity in Utah.”
