John Ashcroft

Mr. ASHCROFT

Mr. ASHCROFT. I have not.

Mr. ASHCROFT. The bill, I think, provides that there are $350 million for each of the first 5 years. And then, after that, there would be ``such sums as may be necessary.''

Mr. ASHCROFT. I am pleased to be aware of it and thank the Senator for bringing it to the attention of the Senate.

Mr. ASHCROFT. It is clear that the studies are conflicting. Some of the assumptions which have been purported by others to be universal simply are not universal and are not supportable when they are alleged to be universal.

Mr. ASHCROFT. I thank the Senator for his question. I feel like I should be able to finish by 2 o'clock, providing I don't spend a lot of time responding to the questions of others. Most of my time on the floor has not been accorded to me to make speeches. It has been in responding to questions. I have to say it is probably better than had I been speaking because I find the questions to be very satisfying and very enlightening.

Mr. ASHCROFT. I yield to the Senator from Utah.

Mr. ASHCROFT. I reassert my right to the floor, and I will be happy to yield for another question, but I have yielded to the Senator from Utah and the floor is not his to yield.

Mr. ASHCROFT. I am aware of it, and that is why I think it is unnecessary to massively burden working Americans with an oppressive tax in order to achieve what State and local entities are doing without this kind of imposition on working people of America.

Mr. ASHCROFT. I am pleased to be made aware of that by the Senator from Utah.

Mr. ASHCROFT. There are a number of incredible things that have been said about the Senator, and I think that is one of them.

Mr. ASHCROFT. Indeed, I am.

Mr. ASHCROFT. I am aware of the fact that the absence of the tobacco companies in any final resolution would result in very serious litigation which would involve serious delays.

Mr. ASHCROFT. I am aware of linkages that have been drawn between marijuana smoking and hard drugs.

Mr. ASHCROFT. I am aware that 3,000 children try smoking every day. I am also aware there are about 8,000 children, according to General McCaffrey, who try drugs every day. I am concerned we do not have a so- called solution here that really shoves people even more into the drug category.

Mr. ASHCROFT. I am aware of that, and during that period of time, the poor people, the working-class people of the United States are going to have a very, very serious tax increase as a result of this kind of greed expressed here.

Mr. ASHCROFT. I am aware of the Senator's position.

Mr. ASHCROFT. I am aware of it, and I am pleased to have you remind us all of the information in these studies.

Mr. ASHCROFT. I am aware of it, and if the people lost their breath thinking this was to be paid by the tobacco companies, they will really lose their breath when they understand these costs are mandated by the statute to be passed on to consumers.

Mr. ASHCROFT. They have indicated clearly that the additions and the aggravations and the different kinds of changes that have been made have made it impossible for them to continue in their support of the measure.

Mr. ASHCROFT. Yes, I am.

Mr. ASHCROFT. I am.

Mr. ASHCROFT. I am not in a position to say whether or not what the tobacco companies could do.

Mr. ASHCROFT. I agree with that. We should not mislead parents. I would firmly underscore the idea that the single, most important factor in whether or not young people smoke is the extent to which their parents are active in helping them not to smoke.

Mr. ASHCROFT. I am aware of that statement and I happen to agree that there is a very serious constitutional problem with this kind of limitation, even of commercial speech.

Mr. ASHCROFT. I am aware of that. I think it is a profound insight and it absolutely represents good legal analysis.