Tom Harkin: “Overall, I believe it is an excellent bill and one I wholeheartedly support. However, there is in this bill, I believe…”

“Overall, I believe it is an excellent bill and one I wholeheartedly support. However, there is in this bill, I believe, a glaring shortfall relating to the level of funding provided for the Food and Drug Administration's enforcement and outreach efforts to prevent smoking by America's children. The budget request for FDA includes $34 million for this purpose, but the reported bill provides only $4.9 million. The amendment that Senator Chafee and I will be offering will provide FDA the full $34 million it needs to implement a nationwide effort in all 50 States to help our kids avoid the deadly trap of tobacco. The needed funding is truly a drop in the bucket compared to the $50 billion or more our Nation spends each year on medical costs attributable to smoking. Everyone, including even the tobacco companies, claims to be against underage smoking. But those assertions are just empty words if we fail to provide the necessary resources to carry out the FDA rules specifically designed to prevent sales of tobacco to children. With this amendment, the rubber really meets the road. It presents this body with a clear choice whether we are really serious about attacking underage smoking. In discussing our amendment, I hope that Members of the Senate will not lose sight of what is really at stake. Disease, suffering, and death caused by smoking and nicotine addiction is clearly at horrendous proportions in our Nation.”