https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/dan-fabricant-npa-2023-washington-dc
For Episode 100 of the PricePlow Podcast, Ben and Mike flew to Washington D.C. for the Natural Products Association’s annual DC Fly-In Day on June 7, 2023. Fly-in days, also known as “lobby days”, bring individuals together to advocate with legislators and other officials on behalf of their shared interests.
So this was the day where members of the NPA could meet with their elected representatives on Capitol Hill to discuss matters of importance in terms of public policy geared towards the dietary supplement industry.
Team PricePlow flies into Washington DC for the Natural Products Association’s annual Fly-In Day, recording a great tell-all podcast with NPA’s CEO, Dan Fabricant, who tells us why we should be involved in our industry’s politics.
Episode 100: Dan Fabricant of the NPA in Washington, DC
It was only fitting, then, to schedule Episode 100 with Dan Fabricant, CEO of the Natural Products Association (NPA). This is the country’s largest and oldest nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the natural products industry — it was founded in 1936 and has over 700 members.
In this podcast, we discuss why we should be involved in politics when it has become so off-putting the past decade or so, discuss what the FDA and industry both need to be doing better, and dig into this year’s hot topics, which includes the battle against the FDA for NMN.
The trip was spectacular — we’ll include some videos at the bottom of this article. We were able to meet with congressmen and senators from New Jersey (Ben’s district) and Oklahoma (Mike’s home).
Have a say — or someone else will do so for you
The most major point to get across is this: If you’re not talking to your legislators, then someone else is. There’s only so much oxygen in DC, and every industry needs to fight for theirs.
Now let’s get into it:
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v= (YOUTUBE VIDEO IS COMING SOON)
As a reminder, Dan was previously on the PricePlow Podcast in Episode #067, describing how the NPA fought Dick Durbin’s 2022 Mandatory Product Listing Bill (described as “MPL” below). Ben had also joined in the fight in Trenton, NJ to prevent them from forcing stores to sell supplements from behind-the-counter (see coverage here and here on Instagram). These are both referenced below:
Detailed Show Notes with Dan Fabricant of NPA
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0:00 – Hot Start: We need to support our tribe
The trio starts with a hot mic, where Dan and Mike are commiserating over national party politics, but Dan explains how we need to support our tribe — which is the dietary supplement industry — something that transcends party politics.
“This is our tribe. We need to take care of our own. It doesn’t matter if you’re left of the left or right of the right.
Personal politics? Gone. This trip is not about personal politics. It’s about this industry.”
Ben points out that many people have their own passions, but health is the most important thing in society. It’s the foundation. And we shouldn’t downplay our industry’s role in our culture.
Detailed show notes are coming!
See Some Fly-In Day Videos
See also Mike’s conclusion to the trip posted to LinkedIn.
Important Links
The Natural Products Association is the leading trade association for dietary supplements, known for its strong lobbying presence in Washington D.C. It acts as an industry watchdog on regulatory and legislative issues.
Thanks to Dan Fabricant and the NPA for hosting us. We met many incredible people within the industry and were honored to represent the supplement industry in front of our congressmen.
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More Pictures
