Current Connection 2.1

In Ramsey Cox's article, "Senate Rejects Amendment to End Tobacco Farm Subidies," he explains why the Senate rejected an amendment that would have ended federally subsidized crop insurance.

In the article, Cox states, "... tobacco farmers could still buy crop insurance, but it wouldn't be federally subsidized." This would essentially just make crop insurance more expensive for tobacco farmers. Feeling financial pressure, farmers would then be more inclined use their land to grow crops that serve an actual purpose and are still federally subsidized; crops that can be used for food are vastly preferable to tobacco, a crop that cannot feed people, a terminator of lives.

Additionally, Cox states, "...the effects of tobacco already cost taxpayers billions of dollars in Medicare and Medicaid expenses." Tobacco is a parasite to the taxpayers of America. The parasite constantly sucks money out of their pockets, and they are forced to support the parasite's gluttonous growth by feeding it more and more money.

In addition, Cox later states, "Sen. Richard Burr, who opposed the amendment, said if Feinstein’s goal was to punish the tobacco industry, then she should instead offer an amendment making tobacco illegal." This amendment, ending the transfer of taxpayer dollars to tobacco farmers, would not punish the tobacco industry, but would stop rewarding its farmers with insurance paid for by taxpayers. Senator Burr wants to support the tobacco industry in any way he can, so he colors the bill as a stupid, aggressive proposition and then suggests the impossible idea of making tobacco illegal, knowing that such a bill would never be passed.

The refusal to pass this bill says a lot about the state the U.S. Federal government is in. The American voters' representatives would rather continue paying unnecessary money to the Tobacco Industry than betray the corporations that fund their campaigns, as well as possibly funding a few other things in their lives. This tells just where the senators' loyalties lie.

The Tobacco Industry's farmers will continue to receive taxpayer assistance to pay for their insurance. If the bill had been passed, then the farmers would have been forced to move on to real crops or pay a premium for their insurance, which would most likely cause the price of tobacco increase in order for everyone to keep a very comfortable profit.

Works Cited:
 Cox, Ramsey. "Senate Rejects Amendment to End Tobacco Farm Subsidies." TheHill. Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., 23 May 2013. Web. 09 Nov. 2013.

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