Orrin Hatch: “I normally would not get this argumentative, but, to be honest with you, I have heard some of the worst arguments…”

“I normally would not get this argumentative, but, to be honest with you, I have heard some of the worst arguments against this bill that I have ever heard in any Senate proceeding. This morning I read a New York Times article, ``Citing Lost Cigarette Revenue, GOP Fights Child Insurance.'' I could not believe what I read: Republican senators today attacked a children's health insurance bill, saying the higher Federal tax it would put on tobacco would cost the states more than $1 billion in revenue annually by cutting cigarette sales. The measure, proposed by Senators Orrin G. Hatch, Republican of Utah, and Edward M. Kennedy, Democrat of Massachusetts, calls for raising the current 24-cents-a-pack Federal tax to 67 cents to pay for subsidized insurance for children of the working poor. The sponsors of the bill intend to offer it on Wednesday as an amendment to the budget resolution. Here is where it is interesting: The Republican Policy Committee, an arm of the leadership, today called the sponsoring Senators' intentions ``admirable'' but misguided, ``because states depend to a great degree on excise tax revenue.''”