Gingrich To Propose 'Slimmed Down' Tobacco Bill
WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, June 18) -- On the heels of the death of the Senate's tobacco legislation, Speaker Newt Gingrich announced Thursday that House Republicans will reveal their own anti-smoking bill as early as next week.
Calling the McCain bill a high-tax, big government bill, Gingrich offered his own vision for tobacco legislation. "I believe the country will respond strongly to a focused, targeted anti-teen smoking bill within the context of fighting the war on drugs, and saving our children," Gingrich told CNN.
House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt (D-Mo.) was skeptical of the effectiveness of the Republican plan. "He's going to bring up a fig-leaf bill. Maybe a better word would be a tobacco-leaf bill," Gephardt countered.
Gingrich's version of the bill is expected to include Food and Drug Administration regulation of cigarettes and limits on advertising and marketing. Gingrich said the bill will not offer tobacco companies protection from litigation.
Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott joined Gingrich to challenge Democrats, who are blaming Republicans for the Senate legislation's demise. "If the president is serious about doing something about teenage smoking and drug abuse, we can do that," Lott said.
The Senate bill was defeated Wednesday as Republicans, angry about the scope of the $516 billion measure aimed at penalizing big tobacco, killed the initiative in two procedural votes that blocked it from coming to a final vote.
Republicans, who do not want to appear to oppose an issue that is popular with voters in an election year, have been assured by pollsters that a smaller anti-teen smoking bill will be just as effective as a larger one in gaining public support.
Earlier Thursday, Clinton pledged to continue to fight for tobacco legislation.
"It's dead today," Clinton said. "It many not be dead tomorrow, and it's not dead over the long run because the public health need is great. I've never quit on anything this important in my life, and I don't intend to stop now."
Republican leaders may try to use his statement against Clinton, however, and attempt to force him to agree to a Republican bill.
In the meantime, the confrontation has continued in the Senate. Senate Democrats echoed Clinton's pledge to keep pushing, making good on a promise to attach the bill to other legislation Thursday. The Democrats attempted to add it to an energy appropriations bill, but that move failed on a 54-44 vote.
Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle promised Democrats would continue with such tactics to show they will not give up on the issue. "We are going to continue this fight in whatever vehicle, whatever form, whatever opportunity we have," Daschle said.
The gesture was largely symbolic, though, as Democrats do not have enough votes in the Senate to force the issue.
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who helped author the measure, said earlier Thursday he had to congratulate the tobacco lobby for its ability to portray the legislation as a tax measure aimed at penalizing U.S. consumers.
"They, by spending upwards of $50 million, they framed the
debate to a significant degree, and they won. And my
congratulations to them," McCain told CNN. "Unfortunately, it's the children of America who lose."
McCain told CNN that he can't believe the government would
drop the issue of teen smoking, which he says is on the rise.
Republicans have countered with finger-pointing of their own in what has turned into a partisan scramble to seem the most concerned over the health of America's youth.
Public health officials have urged lawmakers to address the
issue in a comprehensive fashion to make it
effective legislation, McCain said. (124K/11 sec. WAV sound)
Officials say that in the United States, 3,000 teens a day
begin smoking, and that 1,000 of them will die early because
of it.
CNN's Ann Curley and The Associated Press contributed to this report
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