Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute. Madam Speaker, I include in the Record an article from The Hill today, written by Yvette Clarke, making a point about the unintended consequences of this legislation. The bill carves out an exemption for certain cigar products, but it also creates a ban on menthol products, which would have the unintended consequence of adversely and selectively affecting individuals, tobacco users, in communities of color. [From The Hill, Feb. 27, 2020] Youth Tobacco Use Legislation Would Have Unintended Life-or-Death Consequences for Black Tobacco Users (By Rep. Yvette D. Clarke) This week marks a critical, life-changing moment for the black community, specifically for black tobacco users. The Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act (H.R. 2339) is set for a vote this week in the House of Representatives, and while this bill seemingly makes a lot of sense in curbing youth tobacco use, there are some glaring unintended dire consequences for communities of color with this legislation. H.R. 2339 does many things with the goal to reduce youth tobacco use, like providing resources for a substantive public awareness campaign to educate about the dangers of tobacco use and reducing access to online purchases of flavored tobacco products. However, this legislation does not treat all tobacco products equally, carving out an exemption for one flavored product, premium cigars preferred by white smokers.…”