On the recordFebruary 28, 2020
Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Walden for yielding. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 2339, a bill that bans all flavors of all tobacco products while imposing a new excise tax on vaping products. Let me start by saying this: I don't smoke. I don't chew. I don't vape. And I don't dip. But I do represent adult constituents who do. Bills like this make it clear that House Democrats are more interested in placing partisan politics over real solutions. Since 2011, the share of high school students who say they have smoked cigarettes recently has fallen from 16 percent to 6 percent. More than 2.5 million U.S. adult smokers have quit smoking by switching to e-cigarettes, and many rely on flavored e-liquids. If flavored e-cigarettes are outright banned and e-cigarettes have increased taxes, as this bill does, many of these ex-smokers will return to traditional cigarettes while others will be forced into the dangerous e-cigarette black market that this legislation creates. Let's be clear: Science proves that e-cigarettes are safer than traditional smoking. Both Congress and President Trump have taken important steps to address the youth vaping epidemic. Unfortunately, today's legislation has nothing to do with the youth vaping epidemic and would instead eliminate consumer choice for millions of law-abiding adults.
