Senate Proceeding on Jun 3rd, 2009 :: 2:47:40 to 2:58:10
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2:47:36 to 2:47:56( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: quorum call: a senator: senator from rhode island. mr. reed: would request that the quorum call be suspended. the presid objection. mr. reed: thank you. madam president, i rise today in support of the family prevention and tobacco control act.

2:47:40 to 2:58:10( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Jack Reed

2:47:57 to 2:48:18( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: but first i'd like to take a moment to recognize the outstanding leadership of senator ken doi this important public health issue. this has on this topic. i'm confident my colleagues, in recognition of the tremendous hazardous effect that tobacco has on children,'s adults and seniors, will join me in fulfilling one of s

2:48:19 to 2:48:40( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: kennedy's wishes and mine of finally seeing this bill signed into law. i'd also like to thank senator dodd for his dedication to carrying now a very positive and energic fashion the schedule of the "help" committee set forth by the chairman so that we can bring this legislation to the floor. as a cosponsor of this legislation, i firmly believe that we cannot afford to wait

2:48:41 to 2:49:02( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: another day for it it be enacted -- day for it to be enhactd. madam president, this is not the first time i have risen to speak on the importance of regulating the sale of tobacco products, but i'm hopeful that with this legislation, we will take a giant leap toward eradicating the use of nicotine by discouraging our youth fm ever lighting up and chip away at skyrocketing smoking-related

2:49:03 to 2:49:25( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: health care costs. every year that passes and this legislation is not another 4,700 children in rhode island try a cigarette for the first time, and that will lead to state alone becoming regular daily smokers each year. these new

2:49:26 to 2:49:47( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: the 8.6 million individuals nationwide suffering from smoking caused illnesses. they become part of the 400,000 deaths every year attributed to tobacco use. the use of this very serious and deadly substance. this is a emergency that demands action.

2:49:48 to 2:50:08( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: over the years, the tobacco industry has been confronted with opportunities to change th about the health effects of tobacco, or even the targets of various marketing campaigns. in every instance, they have passed up the opportunity and actively fought to continue to

2:50:09 to 2:50:29( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: lure generation after generation to use tobacco products. i would like to use the time that i have today through some of those occasions in an attempt to demonstrate how important the family smoking, prevention and tobacco control act is to the american people, not only to our health but to our economic pro

2:50:30 to 2:50:50( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: in 1994, while i was in the house of representatives, search seven executives if the tobacco industry took an oat oath before a house committee that they would telethe truth about tobacco n. response to questions from members on the committee, all seven individuals stated that they believed nicotine was not addictive and that new marketing practices we

2:50:51 to 2:51:12( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: reach younger and younger age groups below the legal smoking age of 18. in order to support these claims, the executives cited research, councils and were contrary to what many public health officials were saying and what i believed. this further obscured the notio that smoking was the direct cause of disease. a total of 46 states, including

2:51:13 to 2:51:34( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: my own, majority of my colleagues represt, then proceed to call their bluff one lawsuit after another. through these cases, the american public learned that lies of the tobacco industry extended far beyond that of the congressional hearing room. the suits unearthed that the tobacco industry had established

2:51:35 to 2:51:56( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: and funded the council and institutes claiming tobacco was not a health hazard and had internal documents that stated, one,icotine is addictive; two, smoking is a habit of addiction, and; three, that in order to continue to prosper, cigarettes must younger age groups below the

2:51:57 to 2:52:18( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: legal smoking age of 18 the tobacco industry settled these suits. the agreement, totaling nearly $206illion, was ordered to be distributed to the states in an effort to recoup medicaid dollars spent on smoking-related health care costs. while $206 billion seems like a grand sum of money -- and it

2:52:19 to 2:52:40( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: is -- this amount of money only accounts for approximately seven years of the medicaid budgets of the fact that the industry did settle should have been a clear sign that tobacco production and marketing needs to be regulated. unfortunately, around the same time that the settlement occurred, the supreme court narrowly ruled on a 5-4 margin

2:52:41 to 2:53:02( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: that the f.d.a. such authority to regulate these products. the tobacco to provide aggressive marketing of tobacco products. nearly ten years later, this past december, the supreme court upheld that in fact, be charged at the state

2:53:03 to 2:53:23( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: level with deceptive advertising practices of cigarettes. so youave on one hand no regulation; on the other hand the possibility of sta enforcement. these two supreme court cases further complicate the received by americans regarding the use, marketing and distribution of tobacco. in essence, the industry could

2:53:24 to 2:53:44( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: be held liable for certain advertising practices but direct regulatory oversight of those practices does not exist. appropriate guideline do n exist. with this bill, we will have the opportunity to ensure these guidelines are established. and then to add another layer to this debate, only two weeks ago, the u.s. district court of

2:53:45 to 2:54:05( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: appeals for the district of columbia ruled that the tobacco industry falsed and low-tar cigarettes under the guise that they were less dangerous than other products. this ruling comes after ten years from the date the suit was originally filed, ten years late to prevent 10,000 rhode island children from beginning to use

2:54:06 to 2:54:26( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: tobacco. had we enacted the family smoking, prevention and tobacco control act or a similar version of this legislation years ago, we could have prevented some of those in m country from ever smoking. insterksinstead, the on for years and years and years.

2:54:27 to 2:54:47( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: and this debate will continue to dr on. the tobacco industry has already publicly stated that it will continue to argue the decision that was recently rendered. rather than taking a time-consuming and very expensive path of litigation, i think we have to give the f.d.a. the authority to tobacco products. we have the opportunity before

2:54:48 to 2:55:09( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: us today with the family smoking, prevention and tab crow tobacco control act, we can f.d.a. the authority to regulate tobacco, restrict illegal advertising practices targeting children, prevent the unlawful sale of tobacco to our nation's youth, and labels. mr. present -- madam president madam president, with this

2:55:10 to 2:55:31( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: legislatio will win. th not only for the consumers but for the industry, on advertising practices which can help avoid this legal and seemingly endless litigation. young people will not be targeting by aggressive media campaigns and the publi cris caused by tobacco use

2:55:32 to 2:55:53( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: which costs the american in health care dollars andost productivity and in lost loved ones -- tremendous price would hopefully begin to fade n. preparation for our -- to fade. in preparation for our discussion, i looked back at some of the past stateme i've made in support of tobacco regulation, and one sticks out in my mind. the tobacco industry has worked hard to earn the distrust of the

2:55:54 to 2:56:14( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: american people. we must try to win that trust back. we must empower the f.d.a. regulate tobacco in order to rein in the use of tobacco by our children, control access that our children have to tobacco, and warn the american people about its dangers. the senate is finally once again

2:56:15 to 2:56:35( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: on the path to having a nation's health care system. it is my hope that this debate will result in appropriate hi-quality health care coverage and american. of course, we hope to do this l at the lowest possible c's. cost. madam president, if we are seriously considering

2:56:36 to 2:56:56( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: reformatioof our health care system, then we should not wait to deal with this issue of tobacco. smoke -- smoking related health care costs are skyrocket. today, the average cost of a pack of cigarette in the country is about $5, but the social cost is much, much, much greater.

2:56:57 to 2:57:18( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: every year, the public and private health care expenditures caused by smokingotal approximately $100 billion. together, with an additional $100 billion of lost productivity. these are staggering, staggering totals. again, we cannot afford to wait another day for this legislation to be enacted.

2:57:19 to 2:57:39( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: charting a new course today. with this bill, we will help to chip away at health care costs, complement our health reform cheforts are underway at -- efforts which are underway at this moarntle steer our children away from -- moment, steer our children away from healthier future. i look forward to working with

2:57:40 to 2:57:58( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: my colleagues to enact this legislation and go forward on a new tooth a healthier and more prosperous america. floor and i would note absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll.