[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 190 (Wednesday, November 15, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S5534]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO MATT MYERS

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, serving as a U.S. Senator is a singular 
opportunity to improve the lives of the American people and make a 
difference. When you think about the areas where we have made real, 
tangible progress in preventing suffering, disease, and death, the area 
of tobacco prevention and control stands out for its dramatic success 
in saving lives.
  This has required a comprehensive campaign to shift public thinking, 
promote public health practices, empower the medical and scientific 
communities, shed light on the despicable tactics of Big Tobacco, and 
change the laws at the Federal, State, and local levels. That is a 
daunting task.
  But not for Matt Myers--it has been his life's calling, and for more 
than four decades, he has made it his mission to save lives and hold 
the tobacco industry accountable. Matt recently stepped down as the 
president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, which he helped to 
found in 1996. He has had an outsized impact by playing an 
indispensable role in just about every tobacco-related policy debate, 
and he is leaving a lasting legacy of success measured in lives spared.
  As a leader, advocate, and lawyer, Matt helped transform our 
country's perception of the tobacco industry: by placing children, one 
of the main targets of the tobacco industry's predatory tactics, front 
and center. And he has produced remarkable results. While Matt has 
worked on this issue, the percentage of high school students who smoke 
cigarettes has declined from 28 percent in 2000 to 2 percent today.
  He began at the Federal Trade Commission in 1980, where he worked on 
regulatory and litigation efforts related to tobacco tax increases, 
warning labels on cigarette packs, banning advertisements on television 
and radio, and many other topics. He worked extensively on the historic 
master settlement agreement to hold the tobacco industry responsible 
for its lies, deceit, and marketing over the years, which took millions 
of lives far too soon, including my own father's.
  Matt worked alongside me as we pushed to finally empower and 
authorize the Food and Drug Administration to regulate the 
manufacturing, marketing, and sale of tobacco products. Since then, we 
have collaborated to further raise the prices of tobacco products out 
of the reach of children, increase the age to purchase tobacco 
products, and close loopholes that e-cigarette manufacturers have 
exploited. Matt also has recognized that we can make a difference 
through other avenues as well. We worked together to kick chewing 
tobacco out of Major League Baseball and out of Hollywood movies.
  On virtually any issue that Matt has engaged on, he has prevailed--no 
matter how long it took--and our children, our public spaces, and the 
Nation's health are better for it. But that is not to say it has been 
easy--far from it. One can characterize Matt's approach as a dogged, 
comprehensive pursuit of what is right, no matter the challenge or the 
strength of the adversary. And with the riches and shamelessness of Big 
Tobacco, Matt has taken on the giants, and more often than not, he has 
come out on top.
  It has been an honor to work alongside Matt on so many of these 
efforts. When a new problem arises, and I am considering what course of 
action to take, I often find myself asking, ``What does Matt Myers 
think?'' I know many others have counted on Matt's counsel and wisdom. 
He has been recognized for his leadership by the Harvard School of 
Public Health, the Surgeon General of the United States, Smokefree 
America, and the American Cancer Society. He has been selected to 
advise the United Nations and World Health Organizations on global 
health conventions, spreading his lasting legacy overseas to address 
disparities worldwide.
  While I will miss Matt's trusted advice, tenacity, and creativity, I 
know the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and the broader public health 
community will carry on the effort to safeguard our successes, continue 
to protect children from the harms of vaping, clear the market of 
menthol and flavored cigars, and promote smoking cessation.
  I thank Matt for his service to the country and wish him the best of 
luck in his new, well-deserved chapter in life. I know that will 
include more time with his wife Louise, sons Micah and Daniel, and 
grandchildren Elliot, Eva, David, and Sofia. Congratulations, again.

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