Last week, NATO issued a press release to the top 100 newspapers in the country supporting the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee's investigation into the possible illegal use of federal stimulus grant dollars to lobby local and state government officials to adopt laws or ordinances to raise sugar taxes, enact zoning restrictions to limit restaurant construction, and increase tobacco taxes.
In a letter dated August 13, 2012, and addressed to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, the U.S House Committee on Energy and Commerce called for a detailed response about this potential illegal use of federal tax dollars to support lobbying efforts and a plan of corrective action to prevent such improper use of federal grant funds.
Under federal law, no money appropriated by Congress can be used to influence in any manner a government official unless Congress specifically authorizes the funds to be used for lobbying purposes.
Since the first of this year, NATO has been on the front lines opposing numerous local tobacco-related restrictions, some of which were proposed using these very federal stimulus funds cited in the letter to Secretary Sebelius.
NATO will continue to monitor and report on the outcome of this investigation and any corrective actions that the HHS is required to take as a result of this Congressional inquiry.
See Related Content below to read the full NATO press release.
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