[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 34, Number 23 (Monday, June 8, 1998)]
[Pages 1054-1055]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on House of Representatives Support for Tobacco Legislation

June 5, 1998

    I am pleased to see that momentum for tobacco legislation is now 
building in the House of Representatives. The bipartisan

[[Page 1055]]

comprehensive legislation proposed by Representatives Hansen, Meehan, 
and Waxman now has over 90 cosponsors committed to reducing youth 
smoking. This is a good, tough bill. It reaffirms the FDA's full 
authority over tobacco and includes strong restrictions on advertising 
and marketing of tobacco products to young people. It contains important 
protections against exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and tough 
company-specific surcharges to encourage companies to reduce youth 
smoking. I look forward to working with Representatives Hansen, Meehan, 
Waxman and all of their House colleagues to improve this bill in order 
to protect farmers and farming communities. With this change, I would be 
pleased to sign this bill. I call upon the House of Representatives to 
take it up and get down to the serious business of reducing youth 
smoking in this country.