Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, for 10 years, a bipartisan group of legislators has been fighting to get tobacco regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA regulates products from Tylenol to bottled water to macaroni and cheese; yet it does not have the authority to regulate tobacco, the only product that will kill you if used specifically as directed. This year we stand on the verge of a historic compromise to get tobacco regulated by the FDA, but the shameless $10 billion tobacco buyout in this bill threatens the progress that we have made. This sweetheart deal gives billions to Big Tobacco from the pockets of taxpayers with no strings attached. It requires nothing to improve public health in return. This buyout kills our hope for FDA regulation by taking it off the negotiating table. I urge my colleagues to vote against this rule and against this bill. It is inexcusable and indefensible that this product, macaroni and cheese, is regulated by the FDA; but this product, one of the only products that will kill you if used specifically as directed, we cannot get FDA regulation.”