Congressman Michael Burgess, M.D. (TX-26), a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, released the following statement today after voting against HR 1256, a bill to give the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority over tobacco regulation:

"The FDA is a beleaguered agency that cannot do what we currently require it to do with food and drugs. Agency officials have stated that the FDA is badly understaffed and underfunded. Yet, with this bill, we are giving the agency an entire new product group - tobacco. This is hardly a logical rationale, let alone safe for the American public.

"Nonetheless, since the Majority was planning to move forward with this illogical bill, it was my intent to amend this flawed piece of legislation and make it a better product…