[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 120 (Thursday, September 11, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H7203]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     HOUSE SHOULD REPEAL $50 BILLION TAX BREAK FOR TOBACCO INDUSTRY

  (Mr. DOGGETT asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, yesterday one body in this Congress voted 
to repeal the $50 billion tax break bestowed on the tobacco industry by 
this Gingrich-led House. Now this House must do the same and do it 
immediately.
  Some may view it as a mere coincidence that the No. 1 contributor in 
this country of corrupting soft money to the Republican Party is Philip 
Morris Tobacco. The No. 2 contributor of corrupting soft money in this 
country to the Republican Party is R.J. Reynolds Tobacco. Together they 
gave about $1 million in soft money to the Republican Party in the 
first 6 months of this year, and in month 7 their industry received a 
$50 billion tax break, a tax break buried under the title ``Small 
Business Job Protection'' in the balanced budget tax agreement.
  Speaker Gingrich, schedule votes on both the ban on soft money and 
the repeal of this $50 billion tax break for the tobacco industry on 
the same day. Eliminating two such evils at once would not be a 
coincidence in this special interest Congress, it would be a miracle.

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