Chaffetz merely panders to his perceived voting base. As the article points out, Congress has 30 days to reject DC voter initiatives before they automatically become law. Spending provisions aside, Congress has not done that. To do so would be openly anti-democratic and anti- states rights. It'd leave the party of freedom, liberty & personal responsibility in a serious words vs deeds quandry.
So they try to get what they want by sidestepping that w/ spending restrictions, as if not busting people costs money. The proposition is absurd. The naked hypocrisy remains for those who care to see it.
From there, it moves on to empty threats against DC officials doing their jobs pro forma, by the book. It's shameless & lawless bullying in pursuit of an authoritarian agenda Repubs want to keep hidden.
Anybody who can't see through it needs to have their head examined.
No, he really couldn't. It's federal law. http://object.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/pubs/pdf/policy-priorities-2015-updated.pdf#page=71
Edit: As I read more on this, I could be wrong. In which case it's an area where Obama is genuinely being a shit. Still, Congress could also solve this easily. I really hope this becomes less of a partisan issue in the near future, because there are good arguments from the right and left to decriminalize it. The only reason to keep it so scheduled is 1) money (prison industry), 2) money (police), and 3) leftover racist fear of black people and drugs associated with them.
It looks like Obama would have to force the DEA to do it against its wishes, though, which would be an ugly fight.
Obama signs executive order on even days: Tyranny.It's not the job of the DEA. Congress already washed their hands of it in 1970 and passed it on to the Attorney General.
The 1970 Controlled Substances Act, which created five tiers of restricted drugs, says the attorney general may "remove any drug or other substance from the schedules if he finds that the drug or other substance does not meet the requirements for inclusion in any schedule."
The majority of the country seems to support it. Have Obama grow a pair and call the guy he appointed to reschedule it.
Obama signs executive order on even days: Tyranny.
Obama doesn't sign executive order on odd days: Where's the Leadership?
Every president has signed executive orders.Your comparison is laughably stupid.
As he pointed out Congress has by law delegated it to the AG.
To compare inaction on this matter to the usurpation of powers neither granted or conferred makes zero sense.
Fern
Legalization only benefits those who smoke it, so they're the only ones who are in favor of it.
Every president has signed executive orders.
Executive orders aren't inherently illegal or a usurpation of power.
Is that supposed to be some sort of win for you?The Republicans weren't the party that passed the federal ban on Marijuana, that was the progressive.
It's not the job of the DEA. Congress already washed their hands of it in 1970 and passed it on to the Attorney General.
The 1970 Controlled Substances Act, which created five tiers of restricted drugs, says the attorney general may "remove any drug or other substance from the schedules if he finds that the drug or other substance does not meet the requirements for inclusion in any schedule."
The majority of the country seems to support it. Have Obama grow a pair and call the guy he appointed to reschedule it.
citation please.
I'm just speaking from observation. Is there something I have overlooked?
I'm just speaking from observation. Is there something I have overlooked?
Legalization only benefits those who smoke it, so they're the only ones who are in favor of it.
I'm just speaking from observation. Is there something I have overlooked?
Wish they told us who the RBMs were when they do.Looks like he's been banned...
You don't think reducing the prison and jail population by one million (at $20,000 per prisoner, that's $20 billion in savings a year) isn't a benefit for society? You don't think allowing drug users to continue working instead of taking them out of circulation isn't good for the economy and the drug users' families? You don't think unclogging the criminal justice system by hundreds of thousands of drug cases each year isn't a benefit to society? You don't think allowing law enforcement to focus much more of its resources on non-drug crimes isn't a benefit to society. You don't think eliminating drug-related corruption of law enforcement and civil forfeiture laws is a benefit to society? You don't think essentially eliminating the black-market for drugs, with its concomitant turf wars and murders, isn't a benefit to society. You don't think eliminating most deaths, drug-use-related diseases, and related health care costs caused by the black market in drugs isn't a benefit to society. You don't think that the huge tax income of state and federal governments isn't a benefit to society? You don't think hugely reducing crimes committed by addicts so that they can pay for their habits is a benefit to society?Legalization only benefits those who smoke it, so they're the only ones who are in favor of it.
It's not that easy. There's a whole thicket of bureaucratic red tape in hostile agencies that must be overcome-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remova...le_I_of_the_Controlled_Substances_Act#Process
Otherwise, you'd be raving about King Obama instead. Go ahead- say it ain't so.
Congress is under no such constraints. They can send Obama a bill to reschedule cannabis at will, so maybe they're the ones who need to grow a pair.
Is that supposed to be some sort of win for you?
I see, you confused government dragging it's feet decades ago on a reschedule petition as red tape.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/house-republicans-warn-dc-mayor-not-to-legalize-pot/2015/02/25/2f784a10-bcb0-11e4-bdfa-b8e8f594e6ee_story.html
And the social conservatives strike yet again...on an issue that is routinely being approved almost everywhere it's going on the ballot. I mean even Alaska has it now.
Legalizing marijuana is a bad idea.Use of marijuana, especially at a young age, increases the likelihood of developing serious mental illness.
Legalizing marijuana is a bad idea.Use of marijuana, especially at a young age, increases the likelihood of developing serious mental illness.
Legalizing marijuana is a bad idea.Use of marijuana, especially at a young age, increases the likelihood of developing serious mental illness.