U.S. House Frees Up Funds for Tobacco Lawsuit June 21, 2000
News Summary
Reversing a previous decision, the U.S. House of Representatives agreed to earmark $4 million in a spending bill to help fund the Justice Department's lawsuit against the tobacco industry, the Associated Press reported June 21.The House turnaround came a day after a major confrontation between the Clinton administration and the Republican-led House. Clinton accused House Republicans of "capitulating to the tobacco industry" by failing to let the Veteran's Administration help fund the lawsuit. But GOP leaders countered that the Justice Department was depriving veterans of much needed healthcare funds.
Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) offered an alternative to lifting the funding ban by recommending that the $4 million come from the Veterans Administration's general operating expenses rather than from its medical-care account.
The change was accepted by the appropriations subcommittee in charge of the bill. As a result, the $4 million will be freed from the $101 billion spending bill covering the Veterans Administration, Housing and Urban Development Department and other agencies
President Clinton applauded the action of the House and urged Congress to block other legislative attempts to prevent the federal tobacco lawsuit.
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