WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, March 30) -- Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) on Monday unveiled his long-awaited legislation to set national tobacco policy, calling it "the best proposal" to address the complex issue. But its prospects are uncertain.
The proposed bill would cost the tobacco industry more than $506 billion over 25 years. It also includes a $1.10-a-pack raise in cigarette prices over five years, and a $6.5 billion yearly cap on damages tobacco companies could be forced to pay.
"I believe this is a good bill, I believe it will pass muster and the important critical aspect of it is what it does," said McCain, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, which was appointed to write the tobacco legislation.
Limiting the tobacco industry's future liability was one of the main sticking points during round-the-clock negotiations over the weekend. The figure McCain announced was a compromise between those who believe such a limit is necessary for making a national policy work and those who say the industry should get no such protection.
"To obtain the myriad of public health benefits without challenge and obstruction, the bill will place a $6.5 billion removable cap on the industry's yearly liability," McCain said. "That will allow, underneath that cap, no restriction on consumer and class-action lawsuits."
Settling another contentious issue, it was announced the Food and Drug Adminstration would get the authority to regulate nicotine products.
Granting FDA regulatory authority was pushed by the White House, as well as former FDA Administrator David Kessler and Former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop. But McCain received heavy pressure from Republican congressional leaders, as well as tobacco industry officials, not to include it in the bill.