By WBFO News
Washington, DC – The House of Representative approved a bill Wednesday to ban the post office from shipping cigarettes, a move that threatens the Seneca Nation of Indians' lucrative Internet business.
Seneca Indian leaders had lobbied hard against the legislation, saying it would crushl Native American commerce and take 1,000 tobacco-industry jobs in New York with it.
The House passed the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking - or PACT - Act with a 387-25 vote less than a week after the U.S. Senate approved it by unanimous consent. It now goes to President Barack Obama for his signature.
Supporters say it will make it harder for kids to light up and stop smokers from dodging state taxes. But Indian leaders see it as an attempt by the government to gain control over tribes and their economies.
"This is a sucker punch to our federal treaty rights," Seneca Nation President Barry Snyder Sr. said. "This is a direct assault on our economy and our people. And it will have a devastating ripple effect on the Western New York economy."
The post office has been the primary means of delivery since UPS, DHL and FedEx agreed with the New York Attorney General several years ago not to ship cigarettes nationwide.