Republican Strategist Calls for FDA to Step Up on Trump Agenda of Cracking Down on Illicit Chinese Vapes

The FDA needs to step up on the Trump administration’s agenda of cracking down on illicit Chinese vapes, one Republican campaign strategist said in a statement obtained by Breitbart News in the wake of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifying last week before the House Appropriations Committee.

During a discussion on his department’s budget, Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN) asked about Congress directing the FDA to “dedicate $200 million towards enforcement to crack down on illicit vapes and illicit nicotine products.”

“Do you know how those funds are going to be spent? And what are your thoughts on this issue?” the congressman asked.

Kennedy revealed that some of those funds have been spent on enforcement, adding, “I participated with Pam Bondi in a big bust in Illinois, I think we confiscated a million vapes that were Chinese.” However, Kennedy pointed out that there are some cracks in getting this done the right way, citing a “regulatory complication with FDA, because we were not able to get enough American vapes approved for this country.”

His remark comes as the White House has pushed to open the market in this area, meeting resistance from the FDA.

“President Trump promised to crack down on illicit Chinese vapes, and he selected an HHS Secretary who would make it happen. Secretary Kennedy knows MAHA wants Washington to open up pathways for legal, American vapes and crack down on bad actors trying to infiltrate our markets and harm our children,” a Republican campaign strategist said in a statement obtained by Breitbart News.

“Both Trump and Kennedy understand the political benefits of doing so. But Commissioner Makary and the FDA need to step up: It’s time to open up regulatory barriers and crack down on China,” the strategist added.

This also comes as Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) introduced a bill – the Eliminating Nefarious Distribution of Smuggled Chinese Vapes Act (ENDS Chinese Vapes Act) – to crack down on Chinese vapes in the U.S.

“Dangerous, illegal Chinese vapes threaten the health of our children. My bill would increase the penalty on companies that enable Communist China to sell these dangerous devices in American markets,” Cotton said in a statement.

In a November letter, Cotton specifically asked FDA Commissioner Martin Makary, articulating the position that “legal, regulated, and satisfactory alternatives” must be available to curb the demand for illicit Chinese products.