Related Stories
A Taste Of The Future? (8/25/97)

CQ: Clinton May Propose Tobacco Revisions (9/16/97)

Bulletin Board
Join a thread, start a thread -- it's your chance to sound off!

Infoseek search

  Help
Navigation

Gingrich: Tobacco Deal Shouldn't Enrich Lawyers

House speaker suggests a cap on attorney fees from tobacco settlement

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, Oct. 2) -- Fresh from attacking the IRS, House Speaker Newt Gingrich has another easy target in his sights: lawyers -- specifically, the ones who stand to benefit from the gargantuan tobacco settlement.

"The way the settlement is now proposed, there are attorneys who will not become instant millionaires ... some of them will become billionaires. And that's not a justified fee," Gingrich told reporters Wednesday.

The speaker wants the Clinton Administration to propose legislation that would cap attorneys' compensation at a "reasonable" hourly rate, plus expenses.

Gingrich said that "literally billions of dollars, maybe $100 billion, is at stake. That could be spent on health in general and on children's health in particular."

gingrich

White House spokesman Mike McCurry was noncommittal, expressing only the president's "willingness on our part to explore all the features that are necessary to get a settlement." But the speaker's idea is politically dicey for the Clinton White House, which has habitually been deferential to trial lawyers' interests.

President Bill Clinton wants changes to the proposed $368.5 billion settlement being negotiated between the tobacco companies and the 50 states' attorneys general, including fines for tobacco companies if targeted declines in teen-age smoking don't materialize.

Gingrich and other lawmakers want clarification on how Clinton would achieve his desired $1.50-a-pack hike in cigarette prices over 10 years -- from a federal tax or from allowing companies to jack up the price?

Initial terms of the settlement were reached June 20. Since then, Washington lawmakers have shown no urgency to codify the politically charged deal in legislation.


In Other News:

Thursday Oct. 2, 1997

Getting To Know The Real Al Gore
Policing The Food Supply
Reno Faces A Friday Deadline
Business As Usual For Gore
Gingrich: Tobacco Deal Shouldn't Enrich Lawyers

E-mail From Washington:
Democrats Push For Showdown On Campaign Reform
Air Force Defends Flying Record Of Nominee For Top Civilian Post

Vxtreme Streaming Video:
Sen. Thompson Discusses Campaign Finance Probe





home | news | in-depth | analysis | what's new | community | contents | search

Click here for technical help or to send us feedback.

Copyright © 1997 AllPolitics All Rights Reserved.
Terms under which this information is provided to you.