Statement on the House of Representatives Release of Tobacco Industry Documents

The House Commerce Committee today released thousands of tobacco industry documents. I commend Chairman Bliley, Congressman Waxman, and the members of the Committee for helping to bring these documents to light.

The release of these documents underscores the urgency of enacting comprehensive, bipartisan tobacco legislation this year, which can stop 3 million children from smoking over the next 5 years and save 1 million lives. I am committed to working with legislative leaders on both sides of the aisle, in both the House and the Senate, to enact a comprehensive bill to stop young Americans from smoking before they start—a bill that raises the price of cigarettes, puts into place tough restrictions on advertising and access, imposes penalties on the industry if it continues to sell cigarettes to children, and ensures that the FDA has authority to regulate tobacco products. Our Nation's children are counting on us to put politics aside and work together in a bipartisan manner to get this job done.