Political Quotes

“I want to discuss today the matter pending before us, S. 1415, the tobacco legislation. It is, as we have been told by many people, one of the most expensive, complex, far-reaching legislative proposals ever considered by the U.S. Senate. The stated goal of the proposal is, of course, nonpartisan and universally recognized--the reduction of teenage smoking. We all agree on that. What a parent wants is for his or her children to grow up healthy and strong. No parent really desires that their children become addicted to tobacco use. The issue is, what is the best way of achieving that goal, to go about discouraging teen smoking and highlighting the dangerous health risks associated with tobacco while also preserving individual adult liberties. At the Federal level, I think we should also remind ourselves that underage smoking is, at this time, illegal in all 50 States by State law.”