Bob Barr: “Mr. Chairman, this particular analogy just put forth by the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Hulshof) with gun liability is…”

“Mr. Chairman, this particular analogy just put forth by the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Hulshof) with gun liability is completely misplaced. We are not saying that anybody should or should not be immune from ultimate illegal use of the alcohol, such as the drunk driver. This bill simply goes to the shipping into the State in violation of an existing State law. Now, if those States, and we have heard from a number of Members that are speaking for the wineries, if those States have a disagreement with a particular alcoholic restrictive law of a particular State, then their remedy should be to go to those State legislators and change the State laws that relate to how liquor can be brought into and distributed within that State. But again, to make perfectly clear, and let us remove the clouds of the gun debate and the commerce debate here, this is a bill that simply empowers attorneys general of the States to seek injunctive relief to stop shippers, large or small, from shipping into their State in violation of State laws. It does not affect the legal shipper. I urge support of the bill.”