Political Quotes

“I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 338, the Stop Tobacco Smuggling in the Territories Act of 2013. This bill is simple and straightforward. It amends the Contraband Cigarette Trafficking Act by including American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam in this act. Currently, the Contraband Cigarette Trafficking Act makes it illegal to knowingly ship, transport, receive, possess, sell, distribute, or purchase 10,000 or more contraband cigarettes that do not have a State or territorial tax stamp. The act similarly applies to the sale of contraband smokeless tobacco in excess of certain specified quantities. With respect to both activities, the act authorizes the imposition of criminal penalties and fines. As drafted, however, the bill does not apply to American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam. Thus, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives is prohibited from investigating Contraband Cigarette Trafficking Act violations in those territories. H.R. 338 will cure this obvious oversight. Mr. Speaker, cigarettes are believed to be the most illegally trafficked product in the world. In 2006 alone, more than 10 percent of worldwide sales, or 600 billion cigarettes, were counterfeited. Contraband cigarettes actually present numerous issues.…”