The Traditional Cigar Manufacturing & Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2013 is now H.R. 792

As you know, throughout 2012, tremendous progress was made to advance H.R. 1639 and S. 1461 so that the legislative process could help protect our passion for a great cigar.

Through your petitions to Congress, your voice was heard, with over 200,000 messages to the U.S. House of Representatives, 221 bi-partisan members said Yes to Cigar Liberty. Fourteen members of the U.S. Senate joined them in that chorus, telling the FDA to Leave our Cigars, Alone.

Now, we’re doing it again. With our brethren at the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association, we now have H.R. 792. U.S. Representatives Bill Posey and Kathy Castor have again joined forces in the spirit of bi-partisan cooperation to help our cause. They have come together with a dozen members of Congress from both sides of the aisle as ‘original co-sponsors,’ to again tell the FDA that they have no business, in the cigar business.

We need you again. Over 208,000 in Cigar Nation spoke to Congress in 2012. We need to do better. This time, in the spirit of our new bill number, we’re going to take Operation Cigar Liberty to new heights. With 792 petitions per Congressional District, that would be 344,520 messages to Congress, asking that they support this critical piece of legislation. Sign this simple petition with your name and zip code. We take care of the rest. Let us know of your legislator’s response. Let’s make our voices heard, as never before.

The FDA could rip the soul out of the cigar industry, as we know it. By jeopardizing seasonal blends, threatening boutique production, imposition of new fees, keeping cigar samples out of your hands, and by their very prohibitionist approach, gutting the community tobacconists of Main Street America.

CRA will keep you informed of the progress with H.R. 792 [and the forthcoming Senate bill] and what your legislators are saying.

It’s time for Cigar Nation, to speak, loud and clear.

• Ban on walk-in humidors, self serve cigar displays, and mail-order cigar sales;
• Ban on all flavored cigars, that are enjoyed by legal-age adults;
• Deface ornate, decorative cigar boxes, often considered an art form with grotesque images;
• Ban on cigar events where free cigars (samples) could be available to legal-age adults;
• Limits on cigar marketing and advertising;
• Imposition of new ‘user fees’ [tax] on cigars, to finance regulations;
• Limits on special release and small-batch cigars, due to mandates that cigar blends be submitted to FDA for pre-approval before release;
• Limits on nicotine levels on cigars to near zero, severely impacting the flavor of cigars;
• Ban on marketing cigar merchandise.