Bob Dole: “increasing the tax on tobacco unfairly burdens low-income Americans. My amendment is simple: It creates a 60-vote budget…”

“increasing the tax on tobacco unfairly burdens low-income Americans. My amendment is simple: It creates a 60-vote budget point of order against any legislation that includes a Federal excise tax increase that would unfairly affect low-income individuals, defined as taxpayers with earned income less than 200 percent of the Federal poverty level. According to the Centers for Disease Control report from 2003 to 2005, 28.5 percent of smokers were classified as poor--below 100 percent of the Federal poverty level--and 25.9 percent of smokers were classified as near poor--between 100 and 200 percent of the Federal poverty level. As these numbers clearly show, the tax increase proposed in this bill unfairly falls on the shoulders of those who can least afford it. I am urging my colleagues to acknowledge that the proposed tax increase is an irresponsible and fiscally unsound policy. I urge my colleagues to support the fact that this has a negative impact and is disproportionately hard on the poor.”