The Daily DeLay: T-Minus 8 days and Counting
DeLay Uses 9-11 Bill to Try to Payback Big Tobacco

In October 2001, DeLay added a provision to anti-terrorism legislation that would have prevented foreign governments from recouping billions from tobacco companies in lost revenues and damages.

What tobacco companies' interests had to do with post 9-11 anti-terrorism legislation is still unclear.

Public Citizen reports that a political committee DeLay controls (known as a "527" organization) took in $131,500 from tobacco interests (one-fifth of its total haul) in the year prior to that, more than any candidate for Congress received in hard money from tobacco interests in the whole prior 1999-2000 election cycle.

Only a last-minute move by Senate Democrats, who were then in the majority, removed the provision from the bill.