Tom Harkin: “I listened with interest and great attention to the words spoken by the majority leader. He used the phrase, ``Let's…”

“I listened with interest and great attention to the words spoken by the majority leader. He used the phrase, ``Let's keep in mind the end game.'' I go back to what my colleague from Florida, Senator Graham, and Senator Chafee just spoke about before the two leaders took the floor. What is the ``end game''? It is right here. This is the end game. The number of high school students smoking is going up at a precipitous rate, higher than ever. The end game of this bill is to cut down on teenage smoking. That is the end game. The majority leader says if there is no marriage penalty tax in there and no illegal drug money, then there is going to be no bill. I hope I still have some rational reasoning power. I have to ask, Why? Why is that? The majority leader didn't expound on why that would be. You mean to say that we are holding these teenagers being addicted every day-- 3,000 teenagers every day being addicted to tobacco--hostage to the marriage penalty tax provision or illegal drug money? Holding them hostage? Yet, the majority leader says there will be no bill unless we have this. I don't understand that. The committee-reported bill didn't have them in it. The committee-reported bill that was reported out by a huge vote under the leadership of Senator McCain didn't have that in it.”