[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 66 (Thursday, May 21, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H3736]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




PUNITIVE PROPOSALS REGARDING TOBACCO LEGISLATION IS AFFRONT TO FAIRNESS

  (Mr. ETHERIDGE asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I plead for sanity in this tobacco 
debate. The punitive proposals before Congress are an affront to 
fairness.
  These proposed tax increases will devastate farmers who have done 
absolutely nothing wrong. Excise tax increases are regressive and fall 
hardest on the people who can least afford to pay. These tax increases 
could be as much as $900. They would wipe out the child tax credit that 
was passed last year and take two-thirds of the tax relief we have put 
in place for HOPE scholarships, and it is one of the largest tax 
increases ever. I was not elected to raise taxes on the 50 million 
people in America.
  If we can protect farmers, and we certainly ought to stop children 
from smoking and provide the opportunity for that, and have a balanced 
agreement that reduces the litigation, protects farmers, and curbs teen 
smoking, I can support a responsible increase in prices. However, 
responsibility and balance has been abandoned. Tobacco litigation is no 
longer about responsibly reducing teen smoking, it is about punishment, 
and we must return to sanity and a fair debate on this bill and stop 
this shameful political posturing.

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