fastblackmerc
07-17-2007, 05:26 PM
The U.S. Senate will shortly vote on a proposal to expand
the state children’s health insurance program by $35 billion.
Funding is to be provided solely through higher tobacco taxes.
The tax increases on cigars are particularly punitive,
as all large cigars would be subject to a tax of 53.13% of the
manufacturer’s selling price. This is an increase of 156.4%
over the current rate! And, while the current tax on cigars is
capped so no cigar pays more than $.05 in federal taxes,
the proposed legislation would increase the cap by 20,413%
(not a typo) to $10 per cigar! The combination of these two
factors will result in a dramatic increase in cigar prices in
the U.S. and many cigar companies are likely to go out of business.
We urge you to phone the offices of your own U.S. Senators
(see list below), give them your name and address and ask
that they vote to oppose the punitively high cigar tax increases
in the state children’s health insurance legislation.
Please call only your own U.S. Senators because Senators
respond to the concerns their constituents, not to those who
live in other states.
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List of United States Senators Office Phone Numbers:
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Alabama
Sen. Richard C. Shelby Sen. Jeff Sessions
202-224-5744 202-224-4124
Alaska
Sen. Ted Stevens Sen. Lisa Murkowski
202-224-3004 202-224-6665
Arizona
Sen. John McCain Sen. Jon L. Kyl
202-224-2235 202-224-4521
Arkansas
Sen. Blanche L. Lincoln Sen. Mark Pryor
202-224-4843 202-224-2353
California
Sen. Dianne Feinstein Sen. Barbara Boxer
202-224-3841 202-224-3553
Colorado
Sen. Wayne Allard Sen. Ken Salazar
202-224-5941 202-224-5852
Connecticut
Sen. Christopher J. Dodd Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman
202-224-2823 202-224-4041
Delaware
Sen. Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Sen. Thomas R. Carper
202-224-5042 202-224-2441
Florida
Sen. Bill Nelson Sen. Mel Martinez
202-224-5274 202-224-3041
Georgia
Sen. Saxby Chambliss Sen. Johnny Isakson
202-224-3521 202-224-3643
Hawaii
Sen. Daniel K. Inouye Sen. Daniel K. Akaka
202-224-3934 202-224-6361
Idaho
Sen. Larry E. Craig Sen. Mike Crapo
202-224-2752 202-224-6142
Illinois
Sen. Richard J. Durbin Sen. Barack Obama
202-224-2152 202-224-2854
Indiana
Sen. Richard G. Lugar Sen. Evan Bayh
202-224-4814 202-224-5623
Iowa
Sen. Charles E. Grassley Sen. Tom Harkin
202-224-3744 202-224-3254
Kansas
Sen. Sam Brownback Sen. Pat Roberts
202-224-6521 202-224-4774
Kentucky
Sen. Mitch McConnell Sen. Jim Bunning
202-224-2541 202-224-4343
Louisiana
Sen. Mary Landrieu Sen. David Vitter
202-224-5824 202-224-4623
Maine
Sen. Olympia J. Snowe Sen. Susan M. Collins
202-224-5344 202-224-2523
Maryland
Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin
202-224-4654 202-224-4524
Massachusetts
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy Sen. John F. Kerry
202-224-4543 202-224-2742
Michigan
Sen. Carl Levin Sen. Debbie A. Stabenow
202-224-6221 202-224-4822
Minnesota
Sen. Norm Coleman Sen. Amy Klobuchar
202-224-5641 202-224-3244
Mississippi
Sen. Thad Cochran Sen. Trent Lott
202-224-5054 202-224-6253
Missouri
Sen. Christopher S. “Kit” Bond Sen. Claire C. McCaskill
202-224-5721 202-224-6154
Montana
Sen. Max Baucus Sen. Jon Tester
202-224-2651 202-224-2644
Nebraska
Sen. Chuck Hagel Sen. Ben Nelson
202-224-4224 202-224-6551
Nevada
Sen. Harry Reid Sen. John Ensign
202-224-3542 202-224-6244
New Hampshire
Sen. Judd Gregg Sen. John E. Sununu
202-224-3324 202-224-2841
New Jersey
Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg Sen. Robert Menendez
202-224-3224 202-224-4744
New Mexico
Sen. Pete V. Domenici Sen. Jeff Bingaman
202-224-6621 202-224-5521
New York
Sen. Charles E. Schumer Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton
202-224-6542 202-224-4451
North Carolina
Sen. Elizabeth Dole Sen. Richard Burr
202-224-6342 202-224-3154
North Dakota
Sen. Kent Conrad Sen. Byron L. Dorgan
202-224-2043 202-224-2551
Ohio
Sen. George V. Voinovich Sen. Sherrod Brown
202-224-3353 202-224-2315
Oklahoma
Sen. James M. Inhofe Sen. Tom Coburn
202-224-4721 202-224-5754
Oregon
Sen. Ron Wyden Sen. Gordon Smith
202-224-5244 202-224-3753
Pennsylvania
Sen. Arlen Specter Sen. Robert P. Casey, Jr.
202-224-4254 202-224-6324
Rhode Island
Sen. Jack Reed Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse
202-224-4642 202-224-2921
South Carolina
Sen. Lindsey O. Graham Sen. Jim DeMint
202-224-5972 202-224-6121
South Dakota
Sen. Tim Johnson Sen. John R. Thune
202-224-5842 202-224-2321
Tennessee
Sen. Lamar Alexander Sen. Bob Corker
202-224-4944 202-224-3344
Texas
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison Sen. John Cornyn
202-224-5922 202-224-2934
Utah
Sen. Orrin G. Hatch Sen. Robert Bennett
202-224-5251 202-224-5444
Vermont
Sen. Patrick J. Leahy Sen. Bernard Sanders
202-224-4242 202-224-5141
Virginia
Sen. John W. Warner Sen. James Webb
202-224-2023 202-224-4024
Washington
Sen. Patty Murray Sen. Maria Cantwell
202-224-2621 202-224-3441
West Virginia
Sen. Robert C. Byrd Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV
202-224-3954 202-224-6472
Wisconsin
Sen. Herbert H. Kohl Sen. Russ Feingold
202-224-5653 202-224-5323
Wyoming
Sen. Craig Thomas Sen. Michael B. Enzi
202-224-6441 202-224-3424
the state children’s health insurance program by $35 billion.
Funding is to be provided solely through higher tobacco taxes.
The tax increases on cigars are particularly punitive,
as all large cigars would be subject to a tax of 53.13% of the
manufacturer’s selling price. This is an increase of 156.4%
over the current rate! And, while the current tax on cigars is
capped so no cigar pays more than $.05 in federal taxes,
the proposed legislation would increase the cap by 20,413%
(not a typo) to $10 per cigar! The combination of these two
factors will result in a dramatic increase in cigar prices in
the U.S. and many cigar companies are likely to go out of business.
We urge you to phone the offices of your own U.S. Senators
(see list below), give them your name and address and ask
that they vote to oppose the punitively high cigar tax increases
in the state children’s health insurance legislation.
Please call only your own U.S. Senators because Senators
respond to the concerns their constituents, not to those who
live in other states.
----------------------------------------------------------------
List of United States Senators Office Phone Numbers:
----------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama
Sen. Richard C. Shelby Sen. Jeff Sessions
202-224-5744 202-224-4124
Alaska
Sen. Ted Stevens Sen. Lisa Murkowski
202-224-3004 202-224-6665
Arizona
Sen. John McCain Sen. Jon L. Kyl
202-224-2235 202-224-4521
Arkansas
Sen. Blanche L. Lincoln Sen. Mark Pryor
202-224-4843 202-224-2353
California
Sen. Dianne Feinstein Sen. Barbara Boxer
202-224-3841 202-224-3553
Colorado
Sen. Wayne Allard Sen. Ken Salazar
202-224-5941 202-224-5852
Connecticut
Sen. Christopher J. Dodd Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman
202-224-2823 202-224-4041
Delaware
Sen. Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Sen. Thomas R. Carper
202-224-5042 202-224-2441
Florida
Sen. Bill Nelson Sen. Mel Martinez
202-224-5274 202-224-3041
Georgia
Sen. Saxby Chambliss Sen. Johnny Isakson
202-224-3521 202-224-3643
Hawaii
Sen. Daniel K. Inouye Sen. Daniel K. Akaka
202-224-3934 202-224-6361
Idaho
Sen. Larry E. Craig Sen. Mike Crapo
202-224-2752 202-224-6142
Illinois
Sen. Richard J. Durbin Sen. Barack Obama
202-224-2152 202-224-2854
Indiana
Sen. Richard G. Lugar Sen. Evan Bayh
202-224-4814 202-224-5623
Iowa
Sen. Charles E. Grassley Sen. Tom Harkin
202-224-3744 202-224-3254
Kansas
Sen. Sam Brownback Sen. Pat Roberts
202-224-6521 202-224-4774
Kentucky
Sen. Mitch McConnell Sen. Jim Bunning
202-224-2541 202-224-4343
Louisiana
Sen. Mary Landrieu Sen. David Vitter
202-224-5824 202-224-4623
Maine
Sen. Olympia J. Snowe Sen. Susan M. Collins
202-224-5344 202-224-2523
Maryland
Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin
202-224-4654 202-224-4524
Massachusetts
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy Sen. John F. Kerry
202-224-4543 202-224-2742
Michigan
Sen. Carl Levin Sen. Debbie A. Stabenow
202-224-6221 202-224-4822
Minnesota
Sen. Norm Coleman Sen. Amy Klobuchar
202-224-5641 202-224-3244
Mississippi
Sen. Thad Cochran Sen. Trent Lott
202-224-5054 202-224-6253
Missouri
Sen. Christopher S. “Kit” Bond Sen. Claire C. McCaskill
202-224-5721 202-224-6154
Montana
Sen. Max Baucus Sen. Jon Tester
202-224-2651 202-224-2644
Nebraska
Sen. Chuck Hagel Sen. Ben Nelson
202-224-4224 202-224-6551
Nevada
Sen. Harry Reid Sen. John Ensign
202-224-3542 202-224-6244
New Hampshire
Sen. Judd Gregg Sen. John E. Sununu
202-224-3324 202-224-2841
New Jersey
Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg Sen. Robert Menendez
202-224-3224 202-224-4744
New Mexico
Sen. Pete V. Domenici Sen. Jeff Bingaman
202-224-6621 202-224-5521
New York
Sen. Charles E. Schumer Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton
202-224-6542 202-224-4451
North Carolina
Sen. Elizabeth Dole Sen. Richard Burr
202-224-6342 202-224-3154
North Dakota
Sen. Kent Conrad Sen. Byron L. Dorgan
202-224-2043 202-224-2551
Ohio
Sen. George V. Voinovich Sen. Sherrod Brown
202-224-3353 202-224-2315
Oklahoma
Sen. James M. Inhofe Sen. Tom Coburn
202-224-4721 202-224-5754
Oregon
Sen. Ron Wyden Sen. Gordon Smith
202-224-5244 202-224-3753
Pennsylvania
Sen. Arlen Specter Sen. Robert P. Casey, Jr.
202-224-4254 202-224-6324
Rhode Island
Sen. Jack Reed Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse
202-224-4642 202-224-2921
South Carolina
Sen. Lindsey O. Graham Sen. Jim DeMint
202-224-5972 202-224-6121
South Dakota
Sen. Tim Johnson Sen. John R. Thune
202-224-5842 202-224-2321
Tennessee
Sen. Lamar Alexander Sen. Bob Corker
202-224-4944 202-224-3344
Texas
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison Sen. John Cornyn
202-224-5922 202-224-2934
Utah
Sen. Orrin G. Hatch Sen. Robert Bennett
202-224-5251 202-224-5444
Vermont
Sen. Patrick J. Leahy Sen. Bernard Sanders
202-224-4242 202-224-5141
Virginia
Sen. John W. Warner Sen. James Webb
202-224-2023 202-224-4024
Washington
Sen. Patty Murray Sen. Maria Cantwell
202-224-2621 202-224-3441
West Virginia
Sen. Robert C. Byrd Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV
202-224-3954 202-224-6472
Wisconsin
Sen. Herbert H. Kohl Sen. Russ Feingold
202-224-5653 202-224-5323
Wyoming
Sen. Craig Thomas Sen. Michael B. Enzi
202-224-6441 202-224-3424