On the recordOctober 30, 2007
We have this chart which makes the point that the gentleman just brought up. The burden of tobacco taxes falls largely on poor Americans. As a matter of fact, 28 percent of the people who smoke are considered poor. They make less than 100 percent of the poverty level. And 26 percent of the people who smoke are near-poor. They are in that 100 to 200 percent. And for the not-poor, that is only 18 percent of Americans. So this tobacco tax that is supposed to pay for the bill, but it is not enough money to pay for the bill unless millions of Americans, 22 million, take up smoking, post the burden of this legislation on the people who can least afford to pay it.
Source
govinfo.gov
