Joe Biden: “I wish to comment on my vote on tobacco farmers' eligibility for Federal crop insurance. I begin by noting that no…”

“I wish to comment on my vote on tobacco farmers' eligibility for Federal crop insurance. I begin by noting that no substance rivals tobacco in its negative impact on our Nation's health: It is estimated that tobacco use is responsible for the premature deaths of 400,000 people annually. Caught up in the battle between elected and public health officials and tobacco companies are the tobacco farmers, whose honest labor is spent raising this dangerous but unfortunately often lucrative crop. It is contradictory at best--and irrational at worst--for the American taxpayers to on the one hand pay for the medical costs associated with tobacco use, and on the other, pay to subsidize tobacco production through reduced-rate crop insurance. For this reason, I oppose continuing to provide tobacco farmers with taxpayer-subsidized crop insurance. I do, however, believe that tobacco growers ought to be given reasonable warning that they stand to lose their Federal insurance, enabling them to find comparable coverage in the private insurance market. To me, it is simply an issue of fairness.”