Herb Kohl: “I rise today with Senator Schumer to introduce the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking, PACT, Act of 2006. As the problem…”

“I rise today with Senator Schumer to introduce the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking, PACT, Act of 2006. As the problem of cigarette trafficking continues to worsen, we must provide law enforcement officials with the tools they need to crack down on cigarette trafficking. The PACT Act closes loopholes in current tobacco trafficking laws, enhances penalties for violations, and provides law enforcement with new tools to combat the innovative new methods being used by cigarette traffickers to distribute their products. Each day we delay passage of this important legislation, terrorists and criminals raise more money, states lose significant amounts of tax revenue, and kids have easy access to tobacco products over the Internet. The cost to Americans is not merely financial. Tobacco smuggling also poses a significant threat to innocent people around the world. It has developed into a popular, and highly profitable, means of generating revenue for criminal and terrorist organizations. Hezbollah, for example, earned $1.5 million between 1996 and 2000 by engaging in tobacco trafficking in the United States. Al-Qaida and Hamas have also generated significant revenue from the sale of counterfeit cigarettes. That money is often raised right here in the United States, and it is then funneled back to these international terrorist groups. Cutting off financial support to terrorist groups is an integral part of the protecting this country against future attacks.…”