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One of the primary line of attacks against Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is that she is pro-tobacco. In a recent internal poll conducted by Rep. Carolyn Maloney, Gillibrand was labeled as "pro-tobacco" (among other things) because of her past dealings with tobacco companies, which included a stint as a lawyer representing Philip Morris.
But that attack was dealt a severe blow on Thursday when Sen. Gillibrand voted for H.R. 1256 - the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act - which will allow the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate the tobacco industry, a move that gives the federal government unprecedented power in regulating the industry.
She also been labeled as anti-immigrant, even though she has clarified that position and others since being appointed to the U.S. Senate. This week, she joined Sen. Bob Menendez in sponsoring legislation that would assist orphans, widows and widowers by allowing them to continue in the family immigration citizen. The Reuniting Families Act (S.1085) will help build upon moves made by President Barack Obama that allows families to stay an additional two years should they lose a parent our spouse.
This is what Gillibrand had to say about the Reuniting Families Act:
"I applaud the Obama Administration for taking an important first step to help families that have lost loved ones, but Congress must act in order to ensure a lasting solution for widows, widowers, and orphans as well," Senator Gillibrand said. "I am hopeful that in the weeks and months ahead, we can take action on this legislation and make additional progress to protect families being torn apart by our immigration system. This is an important part of our efforts to reform America's family-based immigration system to reunite loved ones, promote family stability and foster the economic growth that immigrant families have provided throughout our history."
The vote on the FDA regulation of tobacco and the co-sponsoring of the immigration legislation should show to Gillibrand's critics that she has strong positions on these issues that she has been attacked for over the last several months by those who are trying to make her seem not-so progressive.
It will be very difficult making the argument that Gillibrand is pro-tobacco when she cast this important vote. And it will be just as difficult to call Gillibrand anti-immigrant when she is co-sponsoring legislation that allows widows, widowers and orphans to stay in America and stay in the family immigration system.
Those who raise questions about her past views must remember the district she represented. She couldn't afford to be very progressive or else we would have had John Sweeney still representing the 20th congressional district. She had to balance out her views to appeal to a certain base and now that her base is a statewide audience, she has a chance to blossom as a candidate and as a legislator. That is exactly what she is doing in Washington D.C.
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