Drew Ferguson: “As we stand here today, I look at this bill with mixed emotions. Like the gentleman from New York, from the Ways and…”

“As we stand here today, I look at this bill with mixed emotions. Like the gentleman from New York, from the Ways and Means Committee, I, too, have a 16-year-old son, and we have had discussions about the youth vaping epidemic and a real desire to curb--not only curb, but to end youth vaping. It is a public health crisis, and we must address it. We have done some very important things in this body. I heard one speaker, a few minutes ago, say that the President has done nothing to address this issue. I think signing into law T21 is a very important piece of legislation and a very big step. Doing all that we can to end youth vaping and youth use of tobacco is important. As a healthcare provider for 25 years, I understand this. More importantly, as a father of a teenager, I understand it. I have learned in Congress that many times I don't get to vote on the bill that I want; I have to vote on the bill that is in front of me, and that is just the way it goes here. But I will tell you what. This bill makes it almost impossible--as a matter of fact, it makes it impossible to do the one thing that we all agree on, which is that we need to end youth vaping, because let me tell you what this bill does. It goes way beyond that. I would be willing to bet that most Americans in the districts of the sponsors of these bills don't know everything that these folks are about to vote on.…”