{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://hunter.house.gov/press-release/rep-hunter-sen-johnson-write-vice-president-elect-pence-roll-back-e-cigarette", "Rep. Hunter, Sen. Johnson Write Vice President-elect Pence to Roll Back E-Cigarette Regulations", "2016-12-13", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CA", "Duncan Hunter", "H001048", "hunter.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) sent a letter Monday to Vice President-elect Mike Pence concerning the FDA\u2019s regulation of e-cigarettes.\u00a0\u00a0 \nJohnson and Hunter are raising concerns about the agency\u2019s recent e-cigarette regulation, which could create undue burdens on small businesses and possibly lead to negative unintended health consequences. The lawmakers are hopeful that, under a new administration, these harmful regulations can be repealed.\n\u201cWe are hopeful that through both executive and legislative action, burdensome regulations imposed by the Obama administration will be re-examined and undone,\u201d the lawmakers wrote. \u201cThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration\u2019s\u00a0deeming regulation of e-cigarettes is an example of a burdensome rule that could eliminate an entire emerging industry.\u00a0 The FDA\u2019s rule threatens to crush the e-cigarette industry and potentially hurt the public\u2019s health by making it harder for consumers to access products that serve as an alternative to smoking.\u201d\nThe letter can be found here and below:\nDecember 12, 2016\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\nThe Honorable Mike Pence\nVice President-Elect \nPresidential Transition Office\n1800 F Street, NW\nWashington, DC 20006\n\u00a0\nDear Vice President-Elect Pence:\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Congratulations to President-Elect Trump and you on your election.\u00a0 Your shared commitment to regulatory reform is an important step in unwinding years of regulatory overreach that expanded the size, scope, and cost of government.\u00a0 On November 8, the American people voiced their disapproval of the type of government that ignores the input of small business owners, consumers, and job creators.\u00a0 We are hopeful that through both executive and legislative action, burdensome regulations imposed by the Obama Administration will be re-examined and undone. \nThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration\u2019s (FDA) deeming regulation of e-cigarettes is an example of a burdensome rule that could eliminate an entire emerging industry.\u00a0 The FDA\u2019s rule threatens to crush the e-cigarette industry and potentially hurt the public\u2019s health by making it harder for consumers to access products that serve as an alternative to smoking.\u00a0 The FDA\u2019s regulation, which went into effect in August, requires e-cigarette manufactures to complete costly and time-consuming applications in order to get federal approval to sell e-cigarette products.\u00a0 These applications could cost e-cigarette manufacturers\u2014most of which are small businesses\u2014more than $1 million per product, according to some estimates. Many e-cigarette manufacturers cannot afford this expensive application process, and it is likely that this regulation will force most of them to shut down.\u00a0 \nThe FDA\u2019s regulation will have a negative effect on an industry that has been innovating and putting thousands of people to work for the past decade.\u00a0 Christian Berkey, the Chief Executive Officer of an e-liquid company located in Hartland, Wisconsin, is one of many innovators and job-creators whose business will be affected by this burdensome regulation.\u00a0 Mr. Berkey has told the Committee that the effect of this rule on the e-cigarette industry would be \u201ccatastrophic.\u201d If the FDA\u2019s overreach goes unchecked, then thousands of jobs and small businesses will disappear.\u00a0 \nTo reign in the regulatory overreach of the Obama Administration, it necessary to consider all appropriate executive and legislative options to ease the burdens on job creators and innovators.\u00a0 As we continue to pursue legislative options that will protect the thousands of small businesses that rely on producing and selling e-cigarettes, we respectfully urge the new Administration to consider repealing or suspending the FDA\u2019s burdensome deeming regulation over e-cigarettes.\u00a0 With the President-Elect\u2019s leadership, we are hopeful that we can protect thousands of small-business owners, employees, and consumers from the FDA\u2019s overreach.\u00a0 \nThank you for your attention to this important matter.\nSincerely, \n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\nRon Johnson\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Duncan Hunter\nChairman \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Member of Congress\nCommittee on Homeland Security \nand Governmental Affairs", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://hunter.house.gov/press-release/rep-hunter-sen-johnson-write-vice-president-elect-pence-roll-back-e-cigarette"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.7413096502423286, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}