[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]




             CAUTION REGARDING TOBACCO LEGISLATION IS URGED

  (Mr. HEFNER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. HEFNER. Mr. Speaker, there is legislation in both bodies of this 
Congress that would place an excise tax which I think is very punitive 
and does not serve the purpose that I believe that we should be doing.
  I do not believe that anyone wants to support children smoking. 
Certainly from the time I was a small child, my father always talked to 
me about how not to smoke; that it was not good for my health. I do not 
think there is any argument about that.
  But we have farmers all over this country that depend upon tobacco 
for their livelihood, and they have made investments, they have 
borrowed money against the allotments on their farms. So any 
legislation that passes this House should take into consideration the 
hardships that it could put on the hundreds of thousands of farmers all 
over this country that depend on tobacco for their livelihood.
  I would urge every Member of this House to be very cautious before we 
enter into any legislation that affects the tobacco farmer.

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