The House passed the Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act, (H.R.2339), by a vote of 213-195 on Friday, designed as Speaker Pelosi said "to address her highest priority, the children." On Tuesday, the Senate failed to pass two bills that would have protected the lives of the unborn, The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Act (S. 3275), failed to pass the Senate with a 53-44 vote (60 needed), and The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act (S.311), also failed to pass the Senate with a 56-44 vote (60 needed). Obviously, some Republicans did not support these bills, and all Democrats rejected them. Three Days later they passed a bill supposedly designed to protect children. I cannot argue with the need to protect children from tobacco, and, therefore, this bill is understandable. The American Heart Association urged House passage of Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act However, I never like government telling its citizens what they can and cannot do. There is a fine line between what is illegal and what is personal choice. If companies are erroneously promoting their products, that's one thing and is obviously illegal. But, if they are not, that's another thing. Then, the answer is not trying to keep every bad thing away from children. That is not possible. The answer is teaching children to make good decisions. This bill does not do that. Instead of teaching, it forcefully tries to eliminate the problem, which it won't, while adding taxes and other regulations which is the hallmark of 21st Century bill government politics. This bill is a 'messaging bill'. Messaging bills' have included so far:

• Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act
• American Energy Innovation Act
• Surprise Medical Billing Act
• Protecting the Right to Organize Act
• Emergency supplemental disaster relief for Puerto Rico
• The Farm Workforce Modernization Act
• The Lower Drug Costs Now Act
• Fairness for All Bill
• Voting Rights Advancement Act
• Shield Act
• For the People Act

“Messaging bills” are bills that are meant to appeal to one party’s base and help candidates on the campaign trail. They are not written with any real hope of winning bipartisan support and becoming law. These are bills that carry a pleasing title and are described in ways that no one can disagree with, like 'for the children'. The content of the bills do not resemble the title at all. They are ways of adding further government intrusion into our lives and fixing nothing. The choice for children illustrated in the first paragraph above. The priority is not children, but sending a message. 'Value signaling' while growing government, fixing nothing, making the situation worse and wastefully spending your money!