Tobacco
Settlement: Continued
President Clinton is expected to weigh in with his
position on the agreement after Labor Day, following
a review by Health and Human Services Secretary Donna
Shalala and White House adviser Bruce Reed. Clinton
reportedly is inclined to go along with the deal
despite the misgivings of Shalala and Vice President
Al Gore.
On July 3, Mississippi settled its Medicaid
lawsuit against tobacco makers for $3.36 billion over
25 years. Mike Moore, state attorney general, still
urged Congress to proceed with a national bill.
How lawmakers will react to proposed legislation
— and how soon — is anyone’s guess.
Given the complexity of the issues and the number of
committees involved, “the tobacco settlement
will not be implemented by Congress until next year,
if then,” according to Fithian.
