Congressional Record—House H6061
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December 3, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H6061 Kustoff (TN) Pence Stewart The Clerk read the resolution, as fol- is a bill that deals with the unequal en- LaHood Perry Stivers lows: forcement of our drug laws where peo- LaMalfa Posey Taylor Lamborn Reed Thompson (PA) H. RES. 1244 ple are treated differently and more Latta Reschenthaler Thornberry Resolved, That upon adoption of this reso- negatively because of the color of their Lee (CA) Rice (SC) Tiffany lution it shall be in order to consider in the skin. Really? Lesko Richmond Timmons House the bill (H.R. 3884) to decriminalize My distinguished Republican friend Lipinski Riggleman Tipton Long Roby and deschedule cannabis, to provide for rein- did not object to any of the bills we are Turner Loudermilk Rodgers (WA) vestment in certain persons adversely im- bringing up today sponsored by Repub- Upton pacted by the War on Drugs, to provide for Lucas Roe, David P. licans—five different bills—but he Luetkemeyer Rogers (AL) Van Drew expungement of certain cannabis offenses, Marchant Rooney (FL) Vela and for other purposes. All points of order chose to object to a bill that is address- Marshall Rose, John W. Visclosky against consideration of the bill are waived. ing the issue of racial justice. Wagner Massie Rouzer In lieu of the amendment in the nature of a Now, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised Walberg Mast Roy substitute recommended by the Committee McCarthy Rutherford Walden because it is consistent with the atti- McCaul Scalise Walker on the Judiciary now printed in the bill, an tudes that come out of this White McClintock Schweikert Walorski amendment in the nature of a substitute House, but it also makes clear to me McHenry Scott, Austin Waltz consisting of the text of Rules Committee that the Republican Party is no longer McKinley Scott, David Watkins Print 116–67, modified by the amendment Meuser Sensenbrenner Weber (TX) printed in the report of the Committee on the party of Lincoln. It is the party of Miller Shimkus Webster (FL) Rules accompanying this resolution, shall be some of the most intolerant voices on Mitchell Simpson Wenstrup considered as adopted. The bill, as amended, the rightwing and those who dabble in Moolenaar Smith (MO) Westerman shall be considered as read. All points of conspiracy theories. It really is sad. Mooney (WV) Smith (NE) Williams Mullin order against provisions in the bill, as The Republicans made a motion that Smith (NJ) Wilson (SC) Murphy (NC) Smith (WA) amended, are waived. The previous question Wittman the House do now adjourn to highlight Newhouse Smucker shall be considered as ordered on the bill, as Woodall the fact that we are able to vote re- Norman Spano amended, and on any further amendment Nunes Stauber Wright thereto, to final passage without intervening motely in this Chamber in the midst of Yoho Olson Stefanik motion except: (1) one hour of debate equally a pandemic. The leader said that near- Palazzo Steil Young ly one-third of the Democratic Caucus Zeldin divided and controlled by the chair and rank- Palmer Steube ing minority member of the Committee on didn’t vote yesterday, which, by the b 1355 the Judiciary; and (2) one motion to recom- way, they did because we do have re- Messrs. BROWN of Maryland, YAR- mit with or without instructions. sponsible voting rules in place in the MUTH, JOHNSON of Georgia, and Ms. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gen- middle of this pandemic. Now, get this, TLAIB changed their vote from ‘‘yea’’ tleman from Massachusetts is recog- Mr. Speaker. But then, right after say- to ‘‘nay.’’ nized for 1 hour. ing that, 95 percent of the Republican So the motion to adjourn was re- Mr. MCGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, for Conference didn’t even show up to vote. jected. the purpose of debate only, I yield the You can’t make this stuff up, Mr. The result of the vote was announced customary 30 minutes to the gen- Speaker. as above recorded. tleman from Georgia (Mr. WOODALL), They didn’t vote in person, and they my good friend, pending which I yield MEMBERS RECORDED PURSUANT TO HOUSE didn’t vote remotely—nothing. Maybe I RESOLUTION 965, 116TH CONGRESS myself such time as I may consume. am missing something here, but I don’t During consideration of this resolu- Barraga´ n (Beyer) Kaptur (Dingell) Payne think the strategy was very well Bera (Aguilar) Kennedy (Kuster (Wasserman tion, all time yielded is for the purpose thought through. Bonamici (Clark (NH)) Schultz) of debate only. The distinguished minority leader is (MA)) Kim (Davids Peters (Kildee) GENERAL LEAVE Boyle, Brendan puzzled why we have passed rules that (KS)) Pingree (Kuster Mr. MCGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I ask F. (Jeffries) Kirkpatrick (NH)) allow people to vote remotely during Brownley (CA) (Stanton) Pocan (Raskin) unanimous consent that all Members this pandemic. I have a news flash for (Clark (MA)) Lamb (Golden) Porter (Wexton) be given 5 legislative days to revise and him: Close to 275,000 people are dead. Carson (IN) Langevin Pressley extend their remarks. (Cleaver) We have colleagues, both Democratic (Lynch) (Trahan) Castor (FL) The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there colleagues and Republican colleagues, Price (NC) (Demings) Lawson (FL) objection to the request of the gen- (Demings) (Butterfield) who have been infected by this virus. Cohen (Beyer) tleman from Massachusetts? While many Republicans are rushing Costa (Cooper) Lee (NV) Roybal-Allard There was no objection. Dean (Scanlon) (Kuster (NH)) (Garcia (TX)) to attend maskless superspreader DeSaulnier Lieu, Ted Ruiz (Dingell) b 1400 Christmas parties at the White House, (Matsui) (Beyer) Rush we in the Democratic majority are fol- Deutch (Rice Lofgren (Underwood) Mr. MCGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, before (NY)) (Jeffries) Schneider I begin, I feel I need to respond to the lowing the guidelines by the Attending Doggett Lowenthal (Casten (IL)) meltdown that occurred right before Physician in the Capitol, by the CDC, (Raskin) (Beyer) Schrier the vote on the Republican side. by Dr. Fauci, and by every reputable Doyle, Michael Lowey (Tonko) (DelBene) F. (Cartwright) As the distinguished minority leader medical expert in the world. McEachin Serrano Operating remotely during a pan- Escobar (Garcia (Wexton) (Jeffries) knows, House Democrats have sent two (TX)) McNerney Sherrill major coronavirus relief bills over to demic, I want to tell my friend, is not Frankel (Clark (Raskin) (Pallone) the Senate. Sadly, those bills have radical, it is not unique, and it is not (MA)) Meng (Kuster Sires (Norcross) Garamendi been gathering dust on MITCH MCCON- unprecedented or lazy. It is respon- (NH)) Speier (Scanlon) (Sherman) NELL sible. It is constitutional. The Supreme Moore (Beyer) Thompson (CA) ’s desk. He has refused to schedule Grijalva (Garcı´a Mucarsel-Powell (Kildee) a vote and a debate on those bills. Court is working remotely, as are leg- (IL)) islators around the country and around Hastings (Wasserman Titus (Connolly) But the good news is that today, at (Wasserman Schultz) Watson Coleman 12:45, we find out that Leader MCCON- the world. Schultz) Nadler (Jeffries) (Pallone) NELL and Speaker PELOSI have spoken We aren’t doing this because it is Jayapal Napolitano Welch about their shared commitment to convenient, Mr. Speaker. We are doing (Raskin) (Correa) (McGovern) Johnson (TX) Pascrell Wilson (FL) completing an omnibus and COVID re- it because it is necessary, and we are (Jeffries) (Pallone) (Hayes) lief package as soon as possible. I take doing it because we want to save lives. f that as good news. So, we invite our Republican col- We can walk and chew gum at the leagues to join us, to be responsible, PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION same time in this Democratic-con- and to understand why these rules are OF H.R. 3884, MARIJUANA OPPOR- trolled House of Representatives. That so incredibly important and maybe set TUNITY REINVESTMENT AND means we need to deal with not only an example for others in this country, EXPUNGEMENT ACT OF 2019 passing an omnibus bill and a COVID especially those who operate in 1600 Mr. MCGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, by di- relief bill, but we have other work that Pennsylvania Avenue. rection of the Committee on Rules, I needs to be done as well. Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday, the call up House Resolution 1244 and ask I find it curious, Mr. Speaker, that Rules Committee met and reported a for its immediate consideration. the bill the minority leader objected to rule, House Resolution 1244, providing VerDate Sep 11 2014 11:25 Dec 04, 2020 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00013 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A03DE7.003 H03DEPT1 dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with HOUSE H6062 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE December 3, 2020 for the consideration of H.R. 3884, the This is what beginning to reverse the cause I have gotten to do some hum- Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment failed war on drugs looks like, Mr. dingers. We have done some serious and Expungement Act, under a closed Speaker. It is a testament to all of legislating in the 10 years I have been rule. The rule provides 1 hour of debate those who have fought for a fresh and in Congress. We have done some serious equally divided and controlled by the more effective approach year after year rulemaking in the 2 years Mr. MCGOV- chair and ranking member of the Com- after year. ERN has been chairman of the Rules mittee on the Judiciary. It self-exe- Now, I have worked side by side with Committee. cutes a manager’s amendment by many of them in this effort since I was Mr. Speaker, you can always tell Chairman NADLER, and it provides for first elected to Congress back in 1996.