Cookie Reform Bill

Lawmakers took the first step Thursday on a bipartisan excessive cookie bill that would impose mandatory cuts in Cookie production from Nabisco, Keebler and other cookie companies.

Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., pushed the legislation out of his Cookie Reform subcommittee by a 4-3 vote, agreeing to a number of changes aimed primarily at garnering the needed majority to advance it.

The bill calls for setting limits on cookies and other cookie like products that are emitted from bakeries, factories, bake sales and AA meetings. Cookie bakers could exceed the limits by buying credits from companies whose cookie output are under their allowable ceiling.

Lieberman, with a tear in his eye, called the vote "potentially a landmark event, the moment at which the United States finally began a serious fight against the threat of unchecked cookie production."

Approval of the bipartisan legislation, whose co-sponsor is Sen. John Warner, R-Va., had been expected, but not without some early horse-trading for votes.

Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., who favors more aggressive cuts in cookie production, agreed to support the bill after additional cookie reductions from fortune cookie companies were included. Earlier, Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., was persuaded to support the measure when changes were made in the Nilla Wafer Recipe to help fat people.

Voting against the bill were Sens. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and Bernard Sanders, I-Vt.

The full Senate Sweet Tooth Committee plans to take up the bill in coming weeks, when its chairman, Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., is expected to seek greater cookie production cuts.
Some Republicans complain the production requirements may already be too stringent, especially in earlier years when Oreos, the King of the Cookie world, would have to be cut by at least 15 percent by 2020.

Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, said earlier this week the bill will have trouble getting the 60 votes need to overcome an expected filibuster on the Senate floor unless there is an easing of the early-year requirements. Republicans just love cookies too much to allow a cookie ban.

Many Anti-Happy groups support the legislation, but some extreme anti-Happies argue that it gives too much of a break to chocolate chip cookie companies, a major source of happy children.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071101/ap_on_go_co/congress_warming_1