House Republicans are calling on President Biden to withdraw his administration’s proposal to ban menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars, saying the rules would give Mexican cartels a “huge opportunity.”
Nine GOP lawmakers in a Dec. 11 letter to the White House noted that the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) “reportedly expanded its operations recently to include the smuggling and sale of cigarettes” — potentially “using profits … to fund operations their fentanyl in the United States.”
The group warned Biden that the proposed ban would allow cartels “and other criminal organizations to expand their smuggling of tobacco products within US borders, especially given the approximately $30 billion regulated US bulb market.”
“Federal regulations, such as the proposed menthol and flavored cigar bans, could provide further financial resources to the CJNG and other criminal organizations that will fuel their already brutal war against the United States,” wrote Rep. Carol Miller (R-WV), who led the letter.
“The American people cannot afford for cartels to grow more powerful. We have already lost too much.”
House Republicans are calling on President Biden to withdraw his administration’s proposal to ban menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars, saying it would present a “huge opportunity” to cartels. REUTERS Nine GOP lawmakers in a Dec. 11 letter to the White House noted that the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) “has reportedly expanded its operations recently to include cigarette smuggling.” Reuters
Border state Reps. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), Brian Babin (R-Texas), August Pfluger (R-Texas), Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) and Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.) signed the letter, along with same as Reps. Anthony D’Esposito (R-NY), Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.) and Michael Waltz (R-Fla.).
Lawmakers also pointed out that Republicans and Democrats in the Senate have written letters to Biden administration officials raising concerns about Mexican cartel tobacco smuggling.
A Senate GOP campaign manager told The Post that opposition to the bulb ban even has the potential to win votes for Republican candidates.
“Federal regulations, such as the proposed menthol and flavored cigar bans, could provide further financial resources to CJNG and other criminal organizations,” wrote Rep. Carol Miller (R-WV). CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images
“Our poll shows that with ads, this issue shifts 1.5% to 2.5% of the vote to Republicans. I hope Biden immediately implements the ban so that every Senate Democrat will have to defend it,” said the campaign manager.
On Dec. 6, the Biden administration delayed issuing its final rule on a ban on mint cigarettes and flavored cigars following backlash from tobacco industry advocates and community leaders who worried it would increase the risk of clashes between police and black smokers.
The mother of Eric Garner, who died in July 2014 after he was illegally taken into custody by NYPD officers who were trying to arrest the 43-year-old Staten Islander for selling untaxed cigarettes, asked Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) last month. past to defy FDA regulations for that reason.
A Senate GOP campaign manager told The Post that opposition to the bulb ban even has the potential to win votes for Republican candidates. AP
“Banning these products risks creating an illegal market, which could, in turn, lead to increased negative encounters with police in communities of color,” Gwen Carr told Schumer in a Nov. 9 letter obtained exclusively by The Post.
The FDA announced the rule in April 2021 and acknowledged that minty cigarettes are particularly popular among black smokers, citing studies that show 923,000 smokers — including 230,000 black Americans — will quit within 13 to 17 months of a menthol ban.
Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra has also hailed the proposed rule as “an important step to advance health equity by significantly reducing tobacco-related health disparities.”
Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) and other lawmakers also pointed out that Republicans and Democrats in the Senate have raised concerns about Mexican cartels’ tobacco smuggling. Bonnie Cash/UPI/Shutterstock
But David Ozgo, president of the American Cigar Association, said he has informed the Biden administration that the proposal is not supported by the Tobacco Control Act and has “little or no public health benefits, but huge economic costs.”
“Simply put, the proposed ban is the worst kind of public policy,” Ozgo told The Post, citing a loss of $4 billion in sales and 16,000 industry jobs.
In previous comments to The Post, Ozgo added that police departments would not want to investigate or prosecute crimes with “no victims.”
“These people just finished controlling marijuana,” he said. “The last thing a police officer wants to do is start with tobacco.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
