I received this email this morning from a large outfit in North Carolina.
Read on.
YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ORDER CIGARS BY MAIL IN THE NEAR FUTURE!
As early as tomorrow, the House Judiciary committee will be considering House Bill HR2824. In fact, this bill is listed to be considered for mark up tomorrow, Wednesday, January 21, 2004 at 10AM on their website at:
http://www.house.gov/judiciary
Why is this important? Because its sister bill, S1177, which has already passed in the Senate eliminates your right to order cigars by mail!
The House Bill #HR2824 does NOT presently contain the "cigar" and "all tobacco products" language as contained within the Senate bill. Neither the Senate bill, nor the House bill have anything to do with cigars, it is all about combating cigarette counterfeiting, but that didn't stop someone in the Senate from sneaking in the cigar related references that were added at the very last moment. If it could happen in the Senate, it definitely could happen again in the House...
So it is critical that we let the House Judiciary Committee know to NOT add “cigars” and “all other tobacco products” provisions to their House Bill HR2824 as were added to the Senate Bill at the last moment. Because if they do, "our goose is cooked,” and mail order cigars will become illegal!
Below is a list of the Congressmen on the House Judiciary Committee who should understand our plea to keep cigars and non-specific “tobacco product” references out of HR2824.
They are scheduled to consider this bill tomorrow, so we are asking everyone that does not want their right to receive cigars via mail order to contact the House Judiciary Members listed below immediately.
It is critical that all cigar smokers e-mail, phone, or fax these representatives and request that “cigars” and “all other tobacco products” NOT BE ADDED TO HR2824.
House Judiciary Committee:
Spencer Bachus, Alabama
http://www.house.gov/bachus
Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee
http://www.house.gov/blackburn
Rick Boucher, Virginia
http://www.house.gov/boucher
[email protected] John Carter, Texas
http://www.house.gov/carter
Steve Chabot, Ohio
http://www.house.gov/chabot
Howard Coble, North Carolina
http://www.house.gov/coble
[email protected] Tom Feeney, Florida
http://www.house.gov/feeney
[email protected] Jeff Flake, Arizona
http://www.house.gov/flake
[email protected] J. Randy Forbes, Virginia
http://www.house.gov/forbes
Bob Goodlatte, Virginia
http://www.house.gov/goodlatte
[email protected] Mark Green, Wisconsin
http://www.house.gov/markgreen
[email protected] Melissa Hart, Pennsylvania
http://www.house.gov/hart
John Hostettler, Indiana
http://www.house.gov/hostettler/
[email protected] Henry Hyde, Illinois
http://www.house.gov/hyde
William L. Jenkins, Tennessee
http://www.house.gov/jenkins
Ric Keller, Florida
http://keller.house.gov
Steve King, Iowa
http://www.house.gov/steveking
Mike Pence, Indiana
http://mikepence.house.gov
[email protected] Robert C. "Bobby" Scott, Virginia
http://www.house.gov/scott
[email protected] F. James Sensenbrenner, Wisconsin
http://www.house.gov/sensenbrenner
[email protected] Lamar Smith, Texas
http://lamarsmith.house.gov
[email protected] Melvin L. Watt, North Carolina
http://www.house.gov/watt
[email protected] Below is a form message you may want to copy and send. Please feel free to write your own, we just wanted to make this as simple as possible. Whatever you do, please make it fast! We cigar smokers are running out of time and we need to make our voices heard!!!
The Honorable _________________
United States House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Congressman:
On December 9, 2003, the U.S. Senate cut a last minute deal to ban all sales of cigars through the U.S. mail. This provision was quietly slipped into the cigarette anti-counterfeiting bill (S.1177), even though the rest of the bill had nothing to do with cigars. The House Judiciary Committee will soon consider its version (H.R.2824) of the same bill.
I need you to keep cigars out of this bill! There is not a counterfeit cigar problem in this country. There is not a youth cigar smoking problem in this country. This is another example of a big government solution in search of a problem that does not exist. Please do the right thing and don't let the federal government tamper with my right to receive legal cigars through the mail.
Sincerely,
