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Dear Colleagues, Earlier today, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, the dietary supplement industry’s biggest and most-dedicated legislative champion, announced that he would not seek reelection to his Senate seat in 2018. The decision had been expected, but no one was sure of the outcome. See the YouTube video announcement here.
Read the New York Times coverage here (includes the YT video). Read CNN coverage that includes some of the political implications here. Below is the statement UNPA President Loren Israelsen issued to the media this afternoon regarding Sen. Hatch’s announcement. We will have further coverage of this important news—and the implications for industry and the state of Utah—in the near future. With warm regards, Frank MEDIA ADVISORY Statement from UNPA re: Sen. Orrin Hatch retirement announcement SALT LAKE CITY (Jan. 2, 2018)--The United Natural Products Alliance (UNPA) has issued the following statement in response to the announcement, made earlier today, by Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, that he will not seek reelection this year. This statement is from Loren Israelsen, President, United Natural Products Alliance: “We’ve had the opportunity and privilege to work very closely with Sen. Hatch for more than 40 years. His tenure in the Senate has been one of the most productive in history; the significant legislation he has authored or co-authored is remarkable and has touched the lives of every American. “In addition to his forceful drive to enact the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) in 1994, his significant contributions to drug and device law, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and funding for children’s health and AIDS care and other health-related research stand out among many important achievements. “Over the course of his career, he has always represented the spirit of bipartisan politics, honoring the traditions of the Senate to be courteous, thoughtful and reflective—the ability to look for the right answer and the ability to deliver that. “On a personal note, I had the honor of working on his staff in 1977 during his first term, and this experience deeply influenced my own career path. UNPA and the industry have also benefited from our close working relationship with Patricia Knight, who served as the senator’s health policy staff director during the DSHEA years and then later as his chief of staff. Patricia continues to advise UNPA to this day as a senior political advisor and to work with Sen. Hatch’s office to ensure the full and proper implementation of DSHEA. “With DSHEA, Sen. Hatch worked tirelessly to ensure Americans’ rights to make their own health care choices through the wide availability of regulated dietary supplements. Consumers of these products all owe him a debt of gratitude, and generations of Americans have benefited from his deep support and commitment to help people find their own pathway to health. “That same leadership has served his constituents in Utah well as it has led to thedevelopment of Utah’s second-largest economic sector. “What’s difficult for the younger cadre in the natural products industry to grasp is what a huge battle DSHEA was and how transformative it has been for our industry. What now seems normal as an encouraging and supportive environment to build and develop natural products companies was really built on Sen. Hatch's efforts, along with those of DESHEA co-author Sen. Tom Harkin. “Their work was a master class in tenacity, the art of negotiation and a resolve to protect the rights of natural products consumers. It’s a legacy that will be long remembered and deeply appreciated by those who were there and all of those who now benefit from that work. “With the retirement of Sen. Harkin in 2015 and now Sen. Hatch in 2018, it marks the end of an era. It is incumbent on the natural health products industry to build on the political leadership that has always characterized our industry. “We anticipate Utah will continue to be a geopolitical center nationally and internationally, representing the industry and consumers around dietary supplements for years to come.” Attachments area Preview YouTube video An Announcement from Senator Orrin Hatch An Announcement from Senator Orrin Hatch Comments are closed.
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