{"id":2457231,"date":"2025-07-09T06:23:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-09T10:23:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/inside-the-lobbying-battle-over-a-tariff-provision-of-the-big-beautiful-bill-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2025-07-09T06:33:28","modified_gmt":"2025-07-09T10:33:28","slug":"inside-the-lobbying-battle-over-a-tariff-provision-of-the-big-beautiful-bill-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/inside-the-lobbying-battle-over-a-tariff-provision-of-the-big-beautiful-bill-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside the lobbying battle over a tariff provision of the \u2018big, beautiful bill\u2019 &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">32<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Finside-the-lobbying-battle-over-a-tariff-provision-of-the-big-beautiful-bill-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2457231&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>the article discusses a contentious lobbying battle over a tariff provision included in the &#8220;One Big Gorgeous Bill&#8221; (OBBB), specifically related to a repeal of the &#8220;duty drawback&#8221; policy for tobacco. duty drawback is a longstanding tariff rebate that refunds certain import duties when goods are later exported or destroyed, a system that has supported North CarolinaS tobacco farming industry, which relies heavily on exports.<\/p>\n<p>Fairness for America,a newly formed nonprofit,spent over $1.3 million on digital ads advocating for the repeal of this provision, arguing that the duty drawback loophole costs American taxpayers billions adn allows foreign tobacco companies to exploit the system. Despite their expensive campaign,the repeal was removed from the final bill,largely due to strong counter-lobbying efforts from North Carolina&#8217;s agricultural sector,represented by groups like OurAgFuture,which ran ads and shared testimonies emphasizing the provision&#8217;s importance in keeping local farmers competitive internationally.<\/p>\n<p>North Carolina&#8217;s senators,Thom Tillis and Ted Budd,publicly supported keeping the duty drawback intact after pressure from their state&#8217;s agricultural community. The article also highlights controversy surrounding an op-ed falsely attributed to a local corn farmer supporting the repeal, which was later disavowed.<\/p>\n<p>while the true funding behind Fairness for America remains unclear, speculation points to American tobacco giant altria, which reportedly spent millions lobbying against the bill and in favor of ending duty drawback. The article concludes that despite the considerable financial efforts to push the repeal, the agricultural interests and political representatives in North Carolina successfully protected this key trade provision in the legislation.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Inside the lobbying battle over a tariff provision of the &lsquo;big, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mike-johnson-fights-to-keep-trumps-ear-as-house-agenda-stalls-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Mike Johnson fights to keep Trump\u2019s ear as House agenda stalls - ... Examiner\">beautiful bill&#038;rsquo<\/a>;<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2129151\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>A small tariff provision of the &ldquo;One Big Beautiful Bill&rdquo; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/3453722\/house-republicans-ad-duty-drawback-agriculture-provision-big-beautiful-bill\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"spurred\">spurred<\/a> an expensive lobbying battle between special interests in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-admin-expected-to-propose-ban-on-menthol-cigarettes-aclu-says-it-will-disproportionately-affect-communities-of-color\/\" title=\"Biden Admin Expected To Propose Ban On Menthol Cigarettes, ACLU Says It Will Disproportionately Affect Communities Of Color\">tobacco industry<\/a>, including a full-court press from North Carolina&rsquo;s export-dependent farming sector, where tobacco is a key cash crop.<\/p>\n<p>Fairness for America, a <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/MrArenge\/status\/1932178143684571454\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"recently established nonprofit\">recently established nonprofit<\/a>, reportedly spent at least $1.3 million on <a href=\"https:\/\/fairnessforamerica.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">a failed digital advertising blitz<\/a> to keep the tobacco-related tariff provision in the Senate&rsquo;s version of OBBB.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/economy\/3465089\/trump-august-tariff-rate-deadline-firm-but-not-100-firm\/\">Trump says August tariff rate deadline &#8216;firm but not 100% firm&#8217;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/economy\/3463825\/tariff-rates-return-april-levels-august-trade-deal-deadline-bessent\/\">Tariff rates to return to April levels if August trade deal deadline unmet, Bessent says<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/economy\/3463766\/larry-summers-2000-days-of-death-trump-big-beautiful-bill\/\">Ex-Obama adviser warns of &#8216;2,000 days of death&#8217; in criticism of Trump&#8217;s &#8216;big, beautiful bill&#8217;<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The now-nixed provision, proposed as Section 112032 of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.govinfo.gov\/content\/pkg\/BILLS-119hr1rh\/pdf\/BILLS-119hr1rh.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">H.R. 1<\/a>, would have repealed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbp.gov\/trade\/programs-administration\/entry-summary\/drawback-overview\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">&ldquo;duty drawback,&rdquo;<\/a> a centuries-old <a href=\"https:\/\/fraser.stlouisfed.org\/title\/tariff-1789-hamilton-tariff-5884\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">rebate policy<\/a> that allowed for refunding certain tariffs paid on imported materials so long as they were later exported or destroyed.<\/p>\n<p>Proponents of the policy <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3433970\/north-carolina-tobacco-farmers-republicans-remove-hidden-tax-big-beautiful-bill\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"say\">say<\/a> it has helped, for example, North Carolina&rsquo;s tobacco farming industry, which is heavily reliant on exports, to thrive in international markets and remain competitive across global supply chains. Meanwhile, <a href=\"https:\/\/papers.ssrn.com\/sol3\/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5289889\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">opponents seek<\/a> to close what they see as <a href=\"https:\/\/ocpathink.org\/post\/analysis\/keep-an-oklahoma-win-in-congresss-one-big-beautiful-bill-closing-the-tobacco-double-drawback-loophole\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">a loophole in federal trade law<\/a> that <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >lets foreign tobacco companies &#038;ldquo<\/a>;game the system&rdquo; by selling cigarettes in the U.S. essentially tax-free due to the refund mechanism.<\/p>\n<p>As the Senate debated OBBB, Fairness for America widely pushed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Kqu06K9FTFc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">a 30-second political ad<\/a> urging viewers to call Congress and &ldquo;Fix the Double Drawback Loophole.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This unfair loophole costs American taxpayers <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jct.gov\/getattachment\/f402bf1b-246a-4fc0-8f55-0a033b41cff3\/x-26-25R.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">$12 billion over 10 years<\/a>,&rdquo; Fairness for America claimed, positioning the repeal effort as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/3440894\/senate-must-eliminate-foreign-fraud-and-abuse-double-duty-drawback-loophole\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">a Republican-led push<\/a> in line with President Donald Trump&rsquo;s crackdown on government waste, fraud, and abuse of American tax dollars.<\/p>\n<p>Since June 3, Fairness for America spent more than $1.3 million on ad buys concerning the tobacco tariff issue, including over $310,00 in North Carolina alone, according to AdImpact analytics. North Carolina is notably home to 800-plus tobacco farms and the headquarters for three major U.S. cigarette manufacturers.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Keith Beavers examines his tobacco crop in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene in Mount Olive, N.C., Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2011. Far from the beach towns that took Hurricane Irene&rsquo;s first hit, the storm inflicted some of its worst damage on inland farms from North Carolina to New York as crops were pummeled by wind, scalded by salt spray, and submerged by floodwaters. Some farmers are reporting total losses. (AP Photo\/Jim R. Bounds)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/adstransparency.google.com\/advertiser\/AR04680802745278529537?region=US&amp;topic=political\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Google&rsquo;s advertisement tracker<\/a> shows Fairness for America ran the 30-second video as sponsored content on YouTube <a href=\"https:\/\/adstransparency.google.com\/advertiser\/AR04680802745278529537\/creative\/CR04406262938160070657?region=US&amp;topic=political\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">throughout June<\/a> and again <a href=\"https:\/\/adstransparency.google.com\/advertiser\/AR04680802745278529537\/creative\/CR03479481700889657345?region=US&amp;topic=political\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">in early July<\/a>. In June, the monthlong ad campaign was shown more than 3 million times and targeted the Washington, D.C market.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.godaddy.com\/whois\/results.aspx?itc=dlp_domain_whois&amp;domainName=fairnessforamerica.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"domain data\">domain data<\/a>, Fairness for America&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/fairnessforamerica.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">website<\/a>&nbsp;was registered on May 29 as part of the pop-up&nbsp;operation<\/span>, and a bare-bones <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/people\/Fairness-for-America\/61576808111121\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Facebook page<\/a> for the group was set up on June 3.<\/p>\n<p>Politicom Law co-founder Darrin Lim, a lobbyist and Democratic donor, is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sos.state.co.us\/biz\/ViewImage.do?masterFileId=20251532908&amp;fileId=20251532908\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">listed as the incorporator<\/a> of Fairness for America, which was formed on May 8, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sos.state.co.us\/biz\/BusinessEntityDetail.do?quitButtonDestination=BusinessEntityResults&amp;nameTyp=ENT&amp;masterFileId=20251532908&amp;entityId2=20251532908&amp;fileId=20251532908&amp;srchTyp=ENTITY\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">incorporation records<\/a> show.<\/p>\n<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fec.gov\/data\/receipts\/individual-contributions\/?contributor_name=Lim%2C+Darrin&amp;contributor_employer=Politicom+Law\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings<\/a>, Lim has donated to numerous left-wing causes, including considerable contributions to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris&rsquo; respective presidential runs.<\/p>\n<p>Lim&rsquo;s compliance consulting firm, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politicomlaw.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Politicom Law<\/a>, is a California-based &ldquo;woman and minority owned boutique&rdquo; helping Fortune 500 companies, trade associations, nonprofit organizations, and executives navigate lobbying regulations, campaign finance laws, and ethics rules.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the massive amount of cash spent on pushing this initiative, the repeal was ultimately removed from the final bill, thanks largely to counter-lobbying from <a href=\"https:\/\/ouragfuture.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">OurAgFuture<\/a>, a coalition of the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce.<\/p>\n<p>OurAgFuture aired <a href=\"https:\/\/ouragfuture.com\/ag-grou-launches-new-tv-ad-urging-congress-to-protect-duty-drawback-tax-provision\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">multiple<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ouragfuture.com\/our-ag-future-debuts-new-ad-thanking-nc-senators-fo-rprotecting-duty-drawback\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">ads<\/a><span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/ouragfuture.com\/farmers\/\" target=\"_blank\">video testimonies<\/a>&nbsp;from North Carolina farmers and factory workers who would be affected by the repeal<\/span> over the course of a six-figure media campaign to preserve the export incentive. &ldquo;Exports are not only our future; they&rsquo;re my current reality as a tobacco farmer,&rdquo; said Brandon Batten, a sixth-generation farmer from North Carolina.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3428558\/gop-tillis-budd-agriculture-sector-tobacco-trump-big-beautiful-bill\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">GOP&rsquo;S THOM TILLIS AND TED BUDD PRESSURED BY AGRICULTURE SECTOR OVER TRUMP&rsquo;S &lsquo;BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL&rsquo;<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Both of North Carolina&rsquo;s senators <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3433970\/north-carolina-tobacco-farmers-republicans-remove-hidden-tax-big-beautiful-bill\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">publicly backed <\/a>the repeal&rsquo;s removal after the Tar Heel State&rsquo;s agricultural sector <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3428558\/gop-tillis-budd-agriculture-sector-tobacco-trump-big-beautiful-bill\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">pressured them<\/a> to oppose the provision. OurAgFuture, particularly, had <a href=\"https:\/\/ouragfuture.com\/duty-drawback-repeal\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">called on <\/a>Sens. Thom Tillis and Ted Budd (R-NC) to support safeguarding duty drawback.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright is-resized\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">From l-r: Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., speaks before the Senate Judiciary Committee at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, and Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C., speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photos\/Mark Schiefelbein\/Ben Curtis) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Within days, on social media, <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SenThomTillis\/status\/1930703604119208438\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Tillis took issue<\/a> with the &ldquo;hidden&rdquo; tax hike &ldquo;tucked away&rdquo; in the mammoth budget reconciliation bill, noting its implications for farmers in North Carolina, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.statista.com\/statistics\/192022\/top-10-tobacco-producing-us-states\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">the nation&rsquo;s largest <\/a>tobacco producer. In a separate X post, <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SenTedBuddNC\/status\/1939708199793254733\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Budd said<\/a> protecting duty drawback will keep North Carolina tobacco growers competitive with China.<\/p>\n<p>In a statement shared with the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>, OurAgFuture general counsel Ray Starling, formerly chief of staff to Tillis, thanked Congress &ldquo;for standing up for North Carolina farmers and agricultural workers by preserving duty drawback.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3433970\/north-carolina-tobacco-farmers-republicans-remove-hidden-tax-big-beautiful-bill\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">NORTH CAROLINA REPUBLICANS PUSH TO REMOVE &lsquo;HIDDEN TAX&rsquo; FROM &lsquo;BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL&rsquo; AFTER PRESSURE CAMPAIGN<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This vital trade tool helps our producers stay competitive in global markets while supporting jobs here at home,&rdquo; Starling said. &ldquo;OurAgFuture will always fight to uphold this key provision as we continue to support President Trump&rsquo;s pro-farmer and pro-worker agenda.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Last month, those wishing to withdraw duty drawback on tobacco goods got caught publishing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsbreak.com\/nc-political-news-314922010\/4043897527415-op-ed-double-drawback-loophole-harms-north-carolina-farmers-time-to-close-it\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">a deceptive op-ed<\/a> wrongly attributed to North Carolina corn farmer John Pickler, who afterward disavowed the since-deleted opinion piece. Appearing on NC Political News, a local politics website, the article in question championed the repeal.<\/p>\n<p>Pickler, president of the state&rsquo;s Corn Growers Association, then <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsobserver.com\/news\/politics-government\/article308936105.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">penned a letter<\/a> to the North Carolina agricultural community explaining he had nothing to do with the op-ed.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I was so disappointed by the confusion created by NC Political News publishing an editorial under my name espousing opinions that neither I, nor the Corn Growers Association of North Carolina, endorse,&rdquo; Pickler wrote. &ldquo;The op-ed &lsquo;Double Drawback Loophole Harms North Carolina Farmers, Time to Close It,&rsquo; in no way reflects my views or the views of the Corner Growers Association of North Carolina.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Following the failed ad push, still not much is known about Fairness for America or who exactly financed its multimillion-dollar endeavor.<\/p>\n<p>Some observers <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/margoinwnc\/status\/1940581771436839369\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">suspect<\/a> that Fairness for America is funded by the American tobacco corporation Altria, which primarily manufactures and sells within the United States, so it does not benefit from duty drawback as much as its competitors.<\/p>\n<p>As the <em>Washington Post<\/em> recently&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/QBNlf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">reported<\/a>,&nbsp;&ldquo;Altria, the parent company of Philip Morris USA and the firm pushing to end the tobacco tax treatment, has spent nearly $5 million <a href=\"https:\/\/www.opensecrets.org\/federal-lobbying\/clients\/summary?id=D000000067\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">lobbying Congress<\/a> on this legislation and other issues through the first two quarters of 2025, according to federal disclosures.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This dark money group spent $1 million attacking President Trump&rsquo;s One Big Beautiful Bill and undercutting our farmers and workers, and they still lost,&rdquo; a GOP strategist, speaking of Fairness for America, told the <em>Washington Examiner.<\/em> &ldquo;They were warned by American farmers that this was the wrong position, but Altria kept <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-makes-pitch-to-young-people-with-climate-but-dividends-may-not-pay-off\/\" title=\"Biden appeals to youth with climate message, but results uncertain\">lighting money<\/a> on fire, fighting against American agriculture and President Trump.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The strategist added that it will be &ldquo;incredibly difficult for Altria to convince others to partner with them on another campaign to repeal duty drawback after the pure incompetence they displayed this time around.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Trump is for the farmers and Altria spent millions to tank the OBBB and bankrupt farmers,&rdquo; the Republican strategist said.<\/p>\n<p>Altria was contacted for comment on whether it is linked to Fairness for America.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_2129151\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"2129151\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lobbying fight erupts over tobacco tariff in big bill<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3767,"featured_media":2457232,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/5f900d96146c12bdc6a009d276c4fa6e-1024x618.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[4762,4198,5894,50406,32076],"class_list":["post-2457231","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-legislation","tag-lobbying","tag-politics","tag-tariffs-2","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/5f900d96146c12bdc6a009d276c4fa6e-1024x618.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2457231","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3767"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2457231"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2457231\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2457235,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2457231\/revisions\/2457235"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2457232"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2457231"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2457231"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2457231"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}