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Landmark tobacco regulation legislation cleared Congress on Friday, granting the Food and Drug Administration unprecedented authority over the marketing of cigarettes with a mandate to improve health warnings and curb teenage smoking.
The final 307-97 House vote followed Thursday’s 79-17 roll call in the Senate, and President Barack Obama has promised to quickly sign the measure into law.
The action reflects a dramatic shift in public opinion against the once powerful industry, which successfully held back the waters under Republican rule but has seemed overwhelmed since Democrats regained control of Washington last November.
Just months ago, Congress enacted a nearly 62-cents-per-pack increase in federal cigarette taxes to help finance expanded health care coverage for millions of working-class children. And Democrats were so eager Friday to pin down the victory on FDA regulation that the House opted to forgo its own bill on the subject and instead sent a freshly minted Senate version onto the president. Politico
