- Jeff, I thought you might want to know about H.R. 2824,
already approved in the Senate and now before the House Judiciary Committee.
-
- While intending to bar internet sales of cigarettes and
smokeless tobacco via the internet, the words "... and all tobacco
products" were tacked on at the last minute, as is their way.
-
- This bill, if approved and signed into law, would prevent
internet sales of fine cigars. A large number of cigar aficionados, such
as myself, do not have access to cigars in any other way - many live in
small and remote towns with no cigar shops.
-
- The full text of the alert is included below, sans the
site it was sent from, and emails for the members of the HJC are also included.
James Sensenbrunner is the chairman of the HJC.
-
- Thanks,
- William Burke
- non-driver in rural Virginia
-
- STOP BILL HR2824 BEFORE IT STOPS YOU FROM BUYING CIGARS
BY MAIL
-
- Greetings Fellow Cigar Lovers!
-
- The House of Representatives Judiciary Committee is considering
House Bill HR2824 which is slated for mark up TODAY! This bill, which has
already passed in the Senate (S1177), would, in effect, virtually eliminate
your right to receive cigars through the U.S. mail and perhaps other shippers.
Moreover, should this legislation go through, it will most certainly result
in higher cigar prices. Why are we telling you this now? Most of us in
the cigar industry were not even made aware of this situation until late
this past Monday, January 19th.
-
- House Bill #HR2824 does NOT presently contain the "cigar"
and "all tobacco products" language contained in the Senate bill
which was added at the very last moment to a bill designed to combat cigarette
counterfeiters. Therefore, if the House does NOT alter its current language,
then and only then will you be able to continue ordering cigars. However,
if the "cigars" and "all other tobacco products" provisions
added to the Senate Bill at the last moment are added to the House Bill
HR2824, then all mail order cigars will become ILLEGAL.
-
- If you believe in the free enterprise system and the
ability to choose the retailer you want to buy cigars from, email the representatives
listed below. Also below is a sample letter. Feel free to modify it or
write your own version. Please don't sit back and expect the next guy to
write as we're all in this together and will all be greatly affected if
this bill passes. Please also forward this message to a fellow cigar smoker.
-
- ======================================================================
On December 9, 2003, with little debate, the U.S. Senate included 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 focus
is on cigarettes and smokeless tobacco). The House Judiciary Committee
will soon consider its version (H.R.2824) of the same bill.
-
- There is no reason for cigars to be part of this bill!
There is not a counterfeit cigar problem in this country. There is not
a youth cigar smoking problem in this country. And there is no reason
to limit consumer choices or competition between mail order/internet sellers
of cigars and store-based merchants (some of whom supplement their sales
with mail order business).
-
- Please do the right thing and don't let the federal government
tamper with my right to receive legal cigars through the mail. Thank you.
-
- Sincerely, [your name]
-
- Below is a list of the Congressmen on the House Judiciary
Committee. They will consider this bill either TODAY or Jan.28th. 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
- ninthnet@mail.house.gov
-
- 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
- howard.coble@mail.house.gov
-
- Tom Feeney, Florida
- http://www.house.gov/feeney
- tom.feeney@mail.house.gov
-
- Jeff Flake, Arizona
- http://www.house.gov/flake
- jeff.flake@mail.house.gov
-
- J. Randy Forbes, Virginia
- http://www.house.gov/forbes
-
- Bob Goodlatte, Virginia
- http://www.house.gov/goodlatte
- talk2bob@mail.house.gov
-
- Mark Green, Wisconsin
- http://www.house.gov/markgreen
- mark.green@mail.house.gov
-
- Melissa Hart, Pennsylvania
- http://www.house.gov/hart
-
- John Hostettler, Indiana
- http://www.house.gov/hostettler/
- john.hostettler@mail.house.gov
-
- 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
- mike.pence@mail.house.gov
-
- Robert C. "Bobby" Scott, Virginia
- http://www.house.gov/scott
- bobby.scott@mail.house.gov
-
- F. James Sensenbrenner, Wisconsin
- http://www.house.gov/sensenbrenner
- sensenbrenner@mail.house.gov
-
- Lamar Smith, Texas
- http://lamarsmith.house.gov
- lamar.smith@mail.house.gov
- Melvin L. Watt, North Carolina
- http://www.house.gov/watt
- nc12.public@mail.house.gov
-
- House of Representatives Judiciary Committee web page:
- http://www.house.gov/judiciary
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