U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan spoke against FDA regulation of tobacco this afternoon.
In a five-minute speech on the Senate floor, she noted that North Carolina has 12,000 tobacco farmers and over 65,000 jobs tied to the tobacco industry with a $7 billion economic impact on the state.
She said the Kennedy bill would put thousands out of work and worsen the current recession in North Carolina.
"This broad, sweeping legislation will have a devastating impact on the economy in my state, North Carolina, and on the lives of many of my constituents," she said.
Hagan argued the bill would give the FDA "extremely broad authority" to regulate cigarettes, allowing the agency to order changes to the makeup of cigarettes.
"This legislation puts the FDA in an impossible situation," she said.
She closed by saying that she had many friends in North Carolina whose families have grown tobacco for generations.
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Re: Hagan speaks against FDA bill
I support children too, even as a smoker.
There's almost no comparison here.
Banning smoking from adult clubs, or regulating my nicotine content under the FDA restricts rights. Mere taxation to provide health care to millions more children doesn't.