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• Despite the fact that skin cancer impacts thousands of families across the country every year, Washington bureaucracy has delayed making the latest advances in sunscreen technologies available to American families.  In fact, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has failed to approve any new sunscreen ingredients for 15 years and has instead sat on approvals of eight different sunscreen ingredients - some of which have been pending for more than a decade.  Meanwhile, ingredients to provide better protection have been approved throughout Canada, Europe, and Asia.
• Approximately 90 percent of nonmelanoma skin cancers are associated with exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun - and half of American adults have had a sunburn in the past year, which increases your risk.  Getting stronger sunscreens to the shelves quicker won't just protect our skin from the sun; it can protect us and our kids from cancer.
• I'm working to move forward new legislation that will help stop the FDA from dragging its feet on the approval of new sunscreen ingredients.  The Sunscreen Innovation Act (H.R.4250) ensures that all sunscreen ingredients get a transparent review within a predictable timeframe of 11 months or less.  The fact that some ingredients have been awaiting word on approval for more than a decade is unacceptable. 
• This legislation has now been introduced in both the House and Senate and I'm proud that both Republicans and Democrats have put their support behind the bill. 
• I'm hopeful this legislation will be voted on in the coming months, but in the meantime, I wanted to share a few pieces of advice as you search for sunscreen this summer.  First, the American Academy of Dermatology recommends you use a sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher. 
• They also recommend sunscreens that include broad spectrum coverage.  This will be listed on the front of the bottle and simply means that the sunscreen protects you from UVA and UVB rays - both of which can cause cancer.
• Finally, make sure your sunscreen is water resistant, but remember that it can only be waterproof or sweatproof for a limited time.  Reapply it after 40 to 80 minutes, depending on the sunscreen you have.
• Have a safe and sunburn-free summer.
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