Don Nickles: “The spending side of this equation, I mentioned it has a couple of entitlements. The States get 40 percent of revenues.…”

“The spending side of this equation, I mentioned it has a couple of entitlements. The States get 40 percent of revenues. We tell the States: You have to spend half of it as the Clinton administration decreed. You have to spend half as they said. It must be on children's health, child care, child welfare, substance abuse, education, children's health insurance--any of their little social programs that they like. Granted, the Clinton administration wants to expand the welfare state. So they say, here, States, we know that you initiated these lawsuits and you were winning some of them, but, since now we are going to take this over and federalize it, you have to spend the money the way we want. So the bill restricts half of the state money and says: States, you spend it in a welfare-acceptable or child-acceptable manner as the Clinton administration dictates that it be spent. And then they say: States, you can spend the other half any way you want to. So that is the way we are going to increase government in the States. States, congratulations, here's your money. In exchange for that, we are going to limit your ability to sue the tobacco companies.”