WASHINGTON, D.C. - Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee Chairman John Lewis (D-GA), issued the following statement today at a hearing on the Alcohol Tax and Trade Bureau’s (TTB) Report on Tobacco Smuggling in the United States:
“Today, the Subcommittee on Oversight is holding a hearing to discuss tobacco smuggling and other issues at TTB.
“We are pleased to have the agency’s Administrator appear before us once again. Just 40 short years ago, he began as a staff attorney with the Treasury Department. We appreciate your dedication as a public servant.
“This is our second look at the operations of TTB in the last two years. Since that hearing, Congress passed CHIPRA, the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act, which increased tobacco taxes. This hearing will allow us to consider the impact of that legislation.
“According to the Treasury study, tobacco smuggling could have resulted in lost federal revenue of at least $500 million in 2007. We will learn whether the increased tobacco taxes provide an incentive for more illegal activity. We thank our colleague, Congressman Lloyd Doggett, for his leadership on this issue.
“Finally, the Subcommittee will learn whether the tax laws need to be changed to give TTB more tools to respond to a changing marketplace. I look forward to the important testimony of our witnesses today."
