Schatz, Durbin: States Could Lose Funding Under McConnell Tobacco Bill

The Democratic sponsors of bipartisan Tobacco to 21 legislation in the Senate are urging Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to sign on as a co-sponsor rather than move forward with his recently introduced bill that also would raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco from 18 to 21. The lawmakers say McConnell’s bill would force states to pass individual tobacco laws or risk losing funding for substance abuse prevention and treatment programs, which they argue would create additional hurdles at...