Senate Approves $12B Tobacco Farm Buyout

[maddezmom]

By NANCY ZUCKERBROD, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - The Senate approved a plan Thursday to put new restrictions on cigarette makers and pay tobacco farmers $12 billion to give up federal quotas propping up their prices.


An unlikely alliance of anti-smoking advocates and tobacco-state senators teamed up to secure the 78-15 vote to combine a 10-year buyout for tobacco growers with new Food and Drug Administration (news - web sites) powers.


The measure was added as an amendment to a corporate tax bill and broke weeks of deadlock over how to proceed with negotiations on that bill. The Senate approved the tax bill by voice vote and sent it to a House-Senate conference committee, where negotiators will attempt to work out differences between the two chambers' versions of the legislation.


Supporters had worked to get the buyout and new FDA (news - web sites) authority to regulate cigarettes attached to the tax bill so talks could begin with the House on a compromise. The FDA would regulate tobacco not as a drug but as an entirely separate product category.

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http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=512&ncid=716&e=5&u=/ap/20040716/ap_on_go_co/tobacco_buyout

[GainesT1958]

1. We have to remember..

That the House Repubs SCREWED us on this one--voting to down their version of the bill. So much for all the "influence" Walter Jones, Jr. (R-N.C. 3rd) claims to have in a House controlled by HIS party!:mad:

It's Dub's doing, too, of course--and broadcasting THAT info will help the ticket in North Carolina this time!:D

B-)