Patrick Kennedy: “the gentleman from Michigan just pointed out that there are carve-outs for horse racing and Jai-Alai and dog racing. How…”

“the gentleman from Michigan just pointed out that there are carve-outs for horse racing and Jai-Alai and dog racing. How are we going to have a realistic bill if Jai-Alai and dog racing and all these others have exemptions carved out? The real rub in this bill is that, while those have exceptions, State lotteries do not. I think we would also agree that our State lotteries are perhaps the best form of gaming we have out there and that they are giving legitimate dollars to our States, for the education of our kids, for education, for housing. Now, no one disputes that we ought to regulate these offshore gambling casino interests in the Antilles and Antigua. No one disputes that we ought to have that on the books. Let me say at the beginning that I applaud the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte) and applaud the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin) for their efforts to put those provisions in this bill. But do my colleagues know what? In creating those provisions, they have created numerous other problems by carving out all these exemptions for these special interests gaming operations. Really, this language has come from the Christian Coalition. I thought that the Congress ought to be the one that writes legislation, not the Christian Coalition. It is ironic that the Christian coalition wants to have an exception for dog racing.”