[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 12506]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                ADMINISTRATION SIDING WITH TOBACCO LOBBY

  (Mr. EMANUEL asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. EMANUEL. Mr. Speaker, I applaud the Justice Department's decision 
to launch an investigation into whether or not the political pressure 
played a role in their decision to only seek a fraction of the possible 
penalty against the tobacco industry.
  The U.S. Government won its case against Big Tobacco; but rather than 
seeking the maximum penalty of $130 billion, the government suddenly 
decided to ask for only $10 billion. Funny enough, that was equal to 
the amount of the taxpayer bail-out of the industry last year approved 
by this Congress.
  The stunning reversal shocked everyone, including Philip Morris' 
lawyer, who said the company was very surprised.
  Nobody seems to know how the decision was made. Some are saying that 
it had something to do with the $40 million tobacco companies have 
given to the Republican Party since 1990. Or that it could have 
something to do with the $170,000 they gave to President Bush last 
year. But that would be cynical. After all, what does $40 million 
really get you nowadays?
  Mr. Speaker, Americans want their justice unfiltered. Maybe we will 
even be able to get to the bottom of this Keystone Kops situation.

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