[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 79 (Wednesday, June 17, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6440-S6441]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           ORDER OF PROCEDURE

  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
stand in recess, subject to the call of the Chair, following 10 minutes 
of debate of Senator Wyden.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. WYDEN addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Oregon is recognized.
  Mr. WYDEN. Thank you, Mr. President.
  Mr. President, I believe it is very clear that the tobacco industry 
and their allies will pull out all of the stops to kill legislation 
that protects our children. It is very clear how the tobacco industry 
hopes to bring about this legislation's demise. The tobacco lobbyists 
want to produce a death by distraction. It is very easy to see why the 
tobacco lobbyists are pursuing this strategy. They cannot derail our 
cause of protecting children from starting to smoke on the merits. The 
case for passing legislation to protect our kids is too powerful. It is 
too strong. It is too moral.
  So the tobacco lobby hopes to throw everything but the proverbial 
kitchen sink into this debate, hope that it doesn't stink the place up 
too much, and then hope that the American people lose sight of what 
this is really all about. But the fact is that the American people get 
it. They know that this is about protecting children. They are not 
going to fall for this strategy of trying to produce enough distraction 
that somehow the Senate will have to move on to other issues or somehow 
some other question will have to be addressed on this floor. I believe 
that allowing this bill to die by all of these distractions would be 
one of the most shocking abdications of our public responsibilities 
that has been seen in years.
  If this body stays focused on the goal of protecting children, works 
through the relevant amendments, and passes this important legislation, 
this Congress would have a lasting legacy of accomplishment in the 
cause of keeping our children healthy in the 21st century.
  There are a variety of legitimate issues that have come up in this 
debate. The question of education policy,

[[Page S6441]]

of income taxes, a whole host of questions.
  I happen to agree with a number of our colleagues on the other side 
who want to make it tough, for example, to raise taxes. I am one of the 
Democrats who voted to do that. But this is not the proper bill on 
which to have a debate about tax policy. This is not the proper vehicle 
to have a comprehensive discussion about tax reform. This is about 
tobacco.
  I see our friend and colleague, Senator Ford. He and I serve on the 
Commerce Committee. We produced a bill that came out of committee by 19 
to 1 because we stayed focused on the relevant issues. We didn't always 
agree.
  I have enormous respect for Senator Ford. He has done yeoman's work 
on the question of making sure our farmers get a fair shake. He knows I 
feel strongly on key issues: for example, making sure that these 
tobacco companies don't pay for a settlement in this country by 
targeting youngsters around the globe. But together, and with our 
colleague, Senator Hollings of South Carolina, we produced what we 
think is a fair package. There can be further discussion of those 
issues. But we stayed focused on the question of tobacco. We didn't 
raise a whole host of other issues that are important to both of us. We 
stayed focused on the cause of trying to protect children, recognizing 
that we would have further discussion of that subject here on the 
floor. But we stayed focused on the topic at hand.
  The fight to stop the cigarette industry from marketing to children 
did not begin this year. But this is the year we have an opportunity to 
make real progress. I was a Member of the other body and participated 
in the hearings held by then-Chairman Henry Waxman. The tobacco 
executives told me under oath that nicotine isn't addictive. The 
American people didn't believe them. The Surgeon General of the last 20 
years didn't believe them. As a result of that hearing, and the 
documents that have come out over these many years, we have been in a 
position to make great progress--progress, for example, that lead to 
that 19-to-1 vote in the Senate Commerce Committee.
  So this debate is the culmination of years of work by those who have 
been trying to promote the cause of better health for the children in 
our Nation. We are trying to do it in a way that is going to help kids 
around the world be healthier. For the first time, we are going to say 
that you have to protect kids in Oregon and in Texas, and across this 
country. But we are going to get the Government out of the business of 
trying to help these tobacco companies sell cigarettes overseas to hook 
kids in Bangkok and Bangladesh.
  That is important. But we are up against tremendous lobbying. The 
tobacco companies have spent millions. Maybe what we need is a 
``Million Child March'' on Washington, DC, with families, with health 
professionals, to show that we are not going to be derailed by these 
lobbyists. These lobbyists are not going to be allowed to derail the 
cause of public health in this body. We are going to come back again 
and again and again in the days ahead.
  So this issue is focused on what really counts; that is, protecting 
children. There is not going to be a death by distraction. There is not 
going to be a precipitous and unfortunate demise for this bill by 
virtue of so many other issues coming up and being debated on this 
floor. We are going to stay focused.
  Mr. President, I know of the good work that you have done on this 
issue. We have fought together on a bipartisan basis to try to protect 
children in our State. I am looking forward to seeing the kind of 
spirit that you and I have brought to this issue come to this body as a 
whole to make sure that we stay focused on the issue of protecting 
children.
  I yield my time, Mr. President.

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