Posted on 03/12/2010 4:41:44 PM PST by Drango
By Jerry Zremski NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF
WASHINGTON — The Senate late Thursday unanimously passed a bill that could devastate the Seneca Nation's mail-order cigarette business, voting to ban the U.S. Postal Service from mailing tobacco products.
The Senate's sudden and bipartisan passage of the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking (PACT) Act thrilled anti-smoking advocates while infuriating the Senecas, who say the bill could threaten as many as 1,000 jobs in Western New York.
The Senate passed the bill as part of its routine legislative work at the end of Thursday's session. The House in May passed a slightly different version of the legislation by a 397-11 margin.
But instead of having the two chambers work out their differences in a conference committee, congressional sources said the House is expected to quickly pass the Senate version of the bill, sending it on to President Obama for his signature.
"Can you imagine a piece of legislation that is so common sense, so painfully obvious that, even in Washington's partisan climate, it passes the U.S. Senate unanimously?" said Gretchen Leffler, regional vice president of the American Cancer Society in Western New York. "That's what the PACT Act is."
Leffler praised New York's senators, Democrats Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten E. Gillibrand, for standing firm in support of the bill. Gillibrand in particular has been the target of a Seneca Nation publicity campaign aimed at pressuring her to abandon her support for the legislation.
But Seneca Nation President Barry E. Snyder Sr. lashed out at the Senate action and urged House members to stop the bill.
"The PACT Act is being portrayed as a tool to fight cigarette smuggling," Snyder said. "In reality, it is about big tobacco protecting market share. This action will result in the death of legitimate, treaty-sanctioned Native American commerce, causing significant economic harm."
He angrily noting that no senators stood up for Indian sovereignty by opposing the bill.
"We will not back down," Snyder added. "We will pursue an aggressive campaign of outreach and education to inform the voters of Western New York which political leaders stand with the Seneca Nation and those who don't."
The tribe claims the bill would wreck its tobacco business because it relies on the U.S. Postal Service to deliver 70 percent of its products.
Private shippers could still ship tobacco products. However, many — including FedEx, UPS and DSL — have bowed to state pressure and refused to ship them.
In addition to banning the mailing of cigarettes, the PACT Act requires those selling cigarettes on the Internet to::
• Pay all federal, state, local or Tribal tobacco taxes and affix tax stamps before delivering any tobacco products to any customer.
• Register with the state where they are based and make periodic reports to state tax collection officials.
• Check the age and ID of customers both when they purchase tobacco and when the tobacco products are delivered.
It’s about the taxes.
Indians do not pay federal taxes....but they will...
Little Tobacco screwed again protecting Big Tobacco again as they did to fund the SCHIPPs healthcare bill. Govt picking winners and losers again.
They will probably set up their own private tobacco delivery system as they did in 1625 with the Dutch in Albany. [Trading beaverskins for tobacco and muskets.]
“Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is argument of tyrants. It is the creed of slaves.” William Pitt in the House of Commons November 18, 1783
I don’t smoke. But I hate smoke nazis.
Well, for the children AND taxes.
DITTO !
Who's going to pay for all those tobacco-funded programs when the old smokers die? Sombody has to take up the habit!
It's a bummer...Plus think about all the mailmen, who won't have the packages to deliver. ~sob.
I hear ya. It’s about freedom. Jefferson also had a lot to say about being “taxed in our meat in our drink, in our necessities and comforts, in our labors and in our amusements, for our callings and our creeds...”. But nanny control freaks cheer.
BS. This is to make sure the state and fed can rob us even more. It’s not about smoking or anybody’s health. It’s about money. And it sucks.
I blame Nasty Nancy Pelosi.
Really?
"The House in May passed a slightly different version of the legislation by a 397-11 margin...Passes the U.S. Senate unanimously"
Still doesn’t make it right, even though I am no fan of cigarettes.
All politicians are into control. It gives them a reason to live. There are posters who enjoy controlling others too.
“Government is not reason; it is not eloquence. It is force. And force, like fire, is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.” George Washington
You need to get it through your head, none of this stuff is ANY OF YOUR BUSINESS, nor is it the govts, this is NO way to govern a free people. People like, both in and out of the govt make me sick.
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