NW Kentucky News

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman James Comer has expressed concerns regarding a draft report by the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking (ICCPUD). The committee, part of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), released findings intended to shape the 2025 dietary guidelines on alcohol consumption. Comer criticized the report for promoting what he described as an "unscientific, predetermined narrative" about alcohol's health effects.

Comer stated, "Rather than examine all available science, the Biden Administration’s public health apparatus is once again cherry-picking data and operating in secrecy to drive its agenda before President Trump takes office next week." He accused ICCPUD of skewing information to align with this narrative.

He also highlighted that three separate studies and advisories on American alcohol consumption have been released by the federal government over two months. According to Comer, these efforts are confusing for the public and wasteful of federal tax dollars. He called for transparency from HHS regarding additional evaluations commissioned outside of a congressionally mandated study by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. "Americans deserve honesty from the federal government about the processes used to determine public health guidelines," Comer said.

In April 2024, Comer and Subcommittee Chairwoman Lisa McClain began investigating how the 2025 Dietary Guidelines were being developed concerning alcohol consumption. They emphasized that these guidelines should be based on scientific evidence as required by legislation like the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 and the National Nutrition Monitoring Act.

Despite statutory mandates for reviews by entities like the National Academies, HHS formed ICCPUD to influence alcohol consumption guidelines. In September 2024, Comer issued a subpoena seeking documents related to this matter but reported minimal compliance from HHS.