http://www.momsrising.org/taxonomy/term/103 BLOG POSTS / The taxonomy view with a depth of 0. en http://www.momsrising.org/node/586 <p>Missing from most news reports on the debate over the State Children's Health Insturance Program (S-CHIP) is one reason why getting an override on the president's veto will be tough: tobacco money.</p> <p>Tobacco campaign contributions, that is. The legislation pays for expansion of the children's health program with an increase in tobacco taxes, by increasing the levy from 39 cents to $1 a pack.<br /> Problem is so many members of Congress take tobacco campaign contributions. Overall, the industry has sunk nearly <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/indus.asp?Ind=A02&amp;cycle=All" target="new">$25 million into federal elections</a> since the 2000 elections, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.&nbsp; Nearly 80 percent of that cash went to Republicans. (Indeed, President George W. Bush himself took more than a quarter million from tobacco interests for his two presidential elections.)</p> <p><a href="http://www.momsrising.org/node/586">read more</a></p> http://www.momsrising.org/node/586#comments campaign contributions Mitch McConnell Public Campaign tobacco H: Heath Care For All Kids Mon, 15 Oct 2007 16:33:54 -0400 Nancy Watzman 586 at http://www.momsrising.org