Bunning opposes FDA regulation of tobacco

By RONNIE ELLIS
CNHI News Service

FRANKFORT June 04, 2009 10:54 am

— Jim Bunning opposes legislation before the Senate to regulate tobacco products by the Food and Drug Administration and is withholding judgment on the nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court of Sonia Sotomayor.
That sums up Bunning’s weekly teleconference with Kentucky reporters Tuesday because he wasn’t asked about his controversial bid for a third term. Typically, Bunning is peppered with questions about his determination to stay in the race, what he sees as efforts by Sen. Mitch McConnell and others to undermine that determination, and potential challengers.
Not this time. Bunning opened the teleconference by saying he expects a week-long debate on the FDA regulation of tobacco.
“I do not support this legislation as it is currently written,” Bunning said. “While I want to keep cigarettes out of the hands of children, I do not believe the FDA should regulate tobacco. All this bill would do is add unnecessary mandate and expenses to both consumers and tobacco farmers. So long as tobacco is considered to be a legal commodity, I believe it should be regulated by the USDA (U.S. Dept. of Agriculture) not the FDA.”
Bunning said he will try to amend the bill on the floor, amendments the Democratic majority blocked in committee. He said he hopes it won’t pass but wouldn’t speculate about its chances.
Sotomayor presents a dilemma for Republicans – conservatives in the party want Senate Republicans to oppose her nomination but some senators fear a backlash from moderates, women and Hispanic voters. Bunning said he hadn’t made up his mind about Barack Obama’s first nominee to the highest court.
“I’m going to wait (for) the process of the hearings, the judicial committee, before I make any decisions on which way I will proceed on her nomination,” Bunning said. “So I have not made up my mind and I’m going to watch with close scrutiny when they go into her 12 years on the appellate bench and her 3,500 plus cases she has decided.”
Bunning criticized the agreement between the Obama administration and General Motors which led to the automaker’s filing for bankruptcy.
“While this agreement may buy GM some time in the short term, I do not believe it does anything to assure GM’s success over the long term,” Bunning said. Under the agreement, the federal government will offer financial assistance and assume about a 60 percent stake in the company. That troubles Bunning.
“Most importantly, I do not believe the government should be in the business of running private companies with taxpayers’ dollars,” Bunning said. “The federal government can’t even get its own fiscal house in order. Why would anyone believe the politicians and bureaucrats can successfully return a corporation as large as General Motors to economic viability?”
Ronnie Ellis writes for CNHI News Service and is based in Frankfort, Ky. He may be contacted by email at rellis@cnhi.com.