Judd Gregg: “Let's begin with the question of immunity and whether or not immunity is granted in this bill. Immunity for the purposes…”

“Let's begin with the question of immunity and whether or not immunity is granted in this bill. Immunity for the purposes of this debate has become a term of art. Like so many terms that we use here in the Senate, it may not be the most precise term but it is the term that accurately from the political standpoint defines the event here. The fact is that under this bill the tobacco industry is going to be given a special preferential position in the order of American commerce, a position which no other industry will have, a position which is totally outside of the traditional manner in which we have managed our marketplace under our capitalist system. The limitations in this bill on the ability of individuals who have been harmed by the tobacco companies are considerable. They are significant and they will impact people. Pure logic tells you this, because, obviously, if the argument is being made that the only way you can get the tobacco company to come back to the table is if you give them these protections, there must be something pretty darned substantive to these protections.”