You don't hear much about Big Tobacco these days--it seems that everyone's favorite corporate bogeyman lost its luster after numerous setbacks on the legal front, in public relations, and elsewhere. Everyone seemed to 'get' the idea that the tobacco industry distorted facts, put profits before people, and should be punished severly.
But don't be deceived.
Big Tobacco is still a heavyweight in the world of campaign contributions and lobbying.
What they're still doing to protect their profits--at the continued expense of public health--highlights how our much power a wealthy special interest group can wield in our campaign system. Even Big Tobacco.
Despite its split over the FDA measure and declining fortunes in the United States, the tobacco lobby still has significant clout and gives sizably to lawmakers. In the 2006 election cycle, the industry gave more than $19 million in campaign contributions, the lion's share coming from Altria ($12.8 million), according to data compiled by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.
Altria also knows its friends. According to disclosure forms filed with the Federal Elections Commission, the company forked over $12,000 during the 2005-2006 cycle to Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., who is the chief Republican co-sponsor of the FDA legislation in the House.
What is this "FDA legislation" the tobacco industry is so worried about? Follow me inside to find out....
The latest attempt to reign in tobacco use and its public health impacts involves allowing the FDA to regulate tobacco. This power would be granted to the FDA in a bill, sponsored by Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA). Yes, the same Tom Davis who received $12,000 from Altria last cycle.
Why is Altria, parent company of Philip Morris, giving to Davis?
You'd think that the industry would fight this attempt at greater regulation of its product. And you'd be mostly right.
But not completely. The FDA would likely mandate lower nicotine levels in tobacco products, which is something that Altria (the parent company of Philip Morris)
actually likes, because Philip Morris dominates the market for lower-nicotine cigarettes.
So Altria has been lining Davis' pockets not out of good will, but because FDA regulations could hurt its rivals and help its bottom line.
Surprise! Big Tobacco, a special interest group, is making contributions to lawmakers in order to pass legislation that will enhance their own profits! Except that this time they're competing against themselves:
The issue has created a fissure between Philip Morris and the rest of
the industry as they duke it out over the measure, which was born out
of the Master Settlement Agreement reached between tobacco companies
and state attorneys general, to pay for tobacco-related illnesses that
were burdening the Medicare system. (Altria and Philip Morris declined
to comment for this story.)
...
Still, the industry's lobbyists, sans Philip Morris, are pushing
forward to block the measure through the time-honed tactics of doubt
and delay.
While this may make tobacco opponents happy to see, we should remember that for a long time, a unified Big Tobacco used millions in campaign contributions and lobbying to prevent all sorts of regulations on their products. To this day, tobacco has looser regulations than most food products.
You can expect this bill to take longer than it should to pass. And we should recognize this as a symbol of what many other industries are doing, below the radar, during every election cycle and the time in between: spending cash to win favors, slowing down or preventing good public policy that would hurt their bottom line, because our campaign finance system allows it.
Our answer is to
Stop The Money Chase.
