"The only card we had was if we could have demonstrated a united front of all Democrats and one or more Republicans to prevent the [negotiators] from coming back without FDA regulation," said Paul Billings, vice president of national policy for the American Lung Association.
But Grassley's overriding interest was to get the underlying tax bill through Congress and signed by the president, according to sources. With billions of dollars in tax benefits on the table for agricultural and energy interests and home-state corporations, Democrats wavered.
_____Background_____
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Senate Passes Corporate Tax Bill (The Washington Post, Oct 12, 2004)
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Senate Vote on Tax Bill Cleared (The Washington Post, Oct 11, 2004)
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The Tax-Cut Pendulum and the Pit (The Washington Post, Oct 8, 2004)
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Conferees Agree on Corporate Tax Bill (The Washington Post, Oct 7, 2004)
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Tobacco Rider Adds Fire to Debate Over Corporate Tax Bill (The Washington Post, Oct 6, 2004)
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Tax-Cut Bill Draws White House Doubts (The Washington Post, Oct 5, 2004)
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Proposal Seeks Wider Tax Cuts For Industries (The Washington Post, Oct 1, 2004)
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Friday's Question:
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"There was a big game of chicken going on in terms of who broke first," Willmore said. Despite being "very disappointed" that Grassley had not fought harder for the FDA provision, Willmore noted that the House negotiating team "was rigged to defeat FDA regulatory authority from the start, in our view."
Six of 11 Senate Democrats ultimately supported the compromise tax measure without the FDA provisions: Max Baucus (Mont.), Thomas A. Daschle (S.D.), Kent Conrad (N.D.), John Breaux (La.), Jeff Bingaman (N.M.), and Blanche Lincoln (Ark.). All are from states whose energy producers or farmers will benefit from the bill's far-reaching tax provisions. Daschle is facing a tough reelection campaign.
Health groups, meanwhile, maintained their cause still had advanced. In a voice vote that will have no practical effect, the Senate on Sunday again passed separate legislation establishing FDA regulation of tobacco. The House is not expected to consider the Senate bill before Congress adjourns for the year.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), who had supported FDA regulation, said yesterday it was impossible to overcome House opposition to the plan. "There is not a lot of strong support for FDA regulation of tobacco," especially in the House, he said.
Asked if the Senate had been outmaneuvered on this and other issues, Frist said, "I don't know that we got rolled, but the House spoke more loudly there."
