cannabisnews.com: D.C. Budget Caught in Hill Standoff D.C. Budget Caught in Hill Standoff Posted by FoM on September 29, 1999 at 22:14:49 PT By Stephen C. Fehr Source: Washington Post Republican congressional leaders vowed yesterday to hold up final approval of the District's budget for fiscal 2000 unless Democrats and D.C. officials agree to prohibit the legalization of marijuana for medical uses. A day after President Clinton vetoed the city's $4.7 billion budget because it included GOP "riders" to outlaw medical marijuana and a needle-exchange program aimed at slowing the spread of HIV and AIDS among drug addicts, House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) and Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.) accused the president of supporting a "left-wing social agenda." It was a clear sign that this year's debate over the D.C. budget – initially coated in warm feelings as Congress embraced a new, reform-minded mayor and a D.C. Council that was pushing a big tax cut – now has degenerated into an ideological standoff between Capitol Hill Republicans and the White House. Caught in the middle is the D.C. government, which likely will begin the new fiscal year tomorrow without having its budget approved by Congress, as is required. The city has been granted temporary funding relief from Congress while the haggling over the budget continues, but D.C. officials say some programs could be affected if the budget debate isn't settled within a few weeks. Yesterday, Republicans not only sought to make a political statement about D.C. proposals that they said would encourage drug use, but they also rejected complaints from officials in the heavily Democratic city that Congress should not trample home rule, the city's right to make its own decisions. Hastert and Lott said they would not allow a medical marijuana law in the District, even though about 70 percent of D.C. voters approved such a proposal in a 1998 referendum. Six states have similar laws, but unlike the District, they do not have to run their decisions by Congress. "I'm sorry. It's not a local issue," Hastert said. "It's a life-and-death issue for a lot of our children." That theme was continued at a House hearing yesterday, during which Republicans invited law enforcement officials to testify that increasing the availability of marijuana would encourage more use of the leaf. Democrats, meanwhile, tried to turn the debate away from drugs and toward the idea that congressional Republicans, so conscious of states' rights on other matters, should allow the District's government and residents to decide what's best for the city. D.C. Mayor Anthony A. Williams (D), in a telephone conversation with Lott yesterday morning, told the Mississippi Republican he believed that home rule – not drug policy – was the issue. Other D.C. officials noted that Clinton opposes medical marijuana but vetoed the D.C. budget because congressional Republicans simply had overrun the city's wishes. "Mischaracterizing as drug-induced the veto of a president, who has appointed the toughest drug czar in history and himself has long opposed medical marijuana, is not credible," said Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.). "The people I represent resent the conversion of their self-governing rights into a drug issue." For all the posturing, informal talks began yesterday between the White House and lawmakers in both parties to try to reach a compromise on a spending plan for the city. Congress has approved a resolution keeping money flowing to the city at this year's levels starting tomorrow. The final, permanent city budget could be part of a separate bill or thrown in as part of a catch-all appropriations plan next month. Some Republicans are cautioning Clinton and D.C. officials that some of their pet programs – such as expanding college tuition benefits for D.C. students – could be cut if the GOP-controlled Congress takes a second look at the District's budget. Calling the veto "a terrible mistake," Lott asked, "What happens when the District of Columbia is a loser because of this?" But Norton and administration officials dismissed that as an empty threat. "I'm absolutely unmoved by the scare tactic," Norton said. "The District can't lose money unless the president gives it up." Clinton will not propose any cuts, said Linda Ricci, spokeswoman for the White House budget office. If Republicans are worried about the fate of the D.C. budget in an omnibus appropriations bill, Ricci said, Congress could always send the president a separate D.C. budget bill with the anti-drug riders stripped out. "The way to make sure the funding levels stay the same is to send a free-standing bill," Ricci said. But Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Tex.), chairman of the Appropriations subcommittee on the District, said the GOP is not willing to compromise on the marijuana issue. If Clinton backs down, she said, lawmakers might be willing to consider a separate D.C. budget bill. "We will not retreat on the drug issue," Hutchison said. Hutchison's House counterpart, Rep. Ernest J. Istook Jr. (R-Okla.), said he's in no rush to move on the D.C. budget, adding that he wants the president and the Democrats to "sit in the mess they created." "I don't think anyone feels a sense of urgency," he said. Ricci responded: "Procrastination and delay are not encouraging signs. We think D.C. deserves better." Staff writer Michael H. Cottman contributed to this report. By Stephen C. FehrWashington Post Staff WriterThursday, September 30, 1999; Page B1 © 1999 The Washington Post Company President Vetoes D.C. Budget Bill - 9/28/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3057.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #7 posted by Dankhank on September 30, 1999 at 22:30:27 PT: see red Thanks for the encouragement, ya'll ...I see red more and more these days as I see more and more hate projected at marijuana users and marijuana use.My mother-in-law is currently dying from lung cancer and I can't even tell her about what marijuana might do for her. She certainly needs to "bulk up" after her chemo.Damn to a burning hell anyone who would suggest that that sweet woman should be locked up if ever she tried to use it. She is so cowed by the lies and her husband that I can't even bring the subject up when I know that if marijuana was used the worst thing to happen is that she would not be cured. She just MIGHT eat more or enjoy the high and find herself distracted from her immediate predicament for a small while ...Mr. McCaffery I challenge you to meet me at my mother-in-laws house to confront an emaciated woman who I love dearly and tell her why she can't use marijuana to soften the last days of her life.Mr McCaffrey, you are an evil man. I have always said that I do not hate anyone. I am willing to make an exception for you. Stop your lies. You once took an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States...WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU???Read the document and see if you can remember why you swore to defend it ... Surely it wasn't to lock sick people up for choosing their medicine ... Was It? Hemp n Stuff [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by free2choose on September 30, 1999 at 21:50:33 PT Left-wing social agenda? "Left-wing social agenda"? For rabid republicans, that would mean the moderate majority, correct? How stupid do these twits think we are? And what REALLY happened to "GOVERNMENT BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE"?My best wishes to the Washington D.C. voters---you'll need 'em. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by FoM on September 30, 1999 at 21:23:49 PT Thank You All! I just want to say thank you all so much for your comments. They are interesting and I keep learning more and more and I need to keep learning. I know I don't have all the answer but I have a much clearer picture of where we are, and where we must go, to make necessary changes in these bad drug laws.Peace, FoM! [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by Doc-Hawk on September 30, 1999 at 19:12:21 PT: Contact information Thanks for the good contact information. I've got them bookmarked from now on.Now if I could just write as clearly as you. When I see red, my mind goes numb and words longer than four letters are hard to express.(Actually I did send to Hastert & Co. and sent them some of your sentiments.) :) [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by FoM on September 30, 1999 at 15:10:18 PT: GOP Blasts Clinton Veto Of The D.C. Funding Bill The Philadelphia InquirerSeptember 30, 1999http://www.phillynews.com/REUTERSLeaders charged that he was protecting "some really left-wing programs," such as medicinal marijuana. WASHINGTON Republican leaders yesterday blasted President Clinton's veto of a fiscal 2000 funding bill for the nation's capital, saying he did so to protect "left-wing programs," including the legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes. "This is a terrible mistake by the President [and] a very rainy day for the District of Columbia," Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R., Miss.) told a news conference one day after Clinton vetoed the $4.7 billion bill because of spending restrictions that the President said meddled with local decision-making. Calling the bill "probably the best D.C. appropriations bill in at least a decade," Lott said Clinton vetoed the measure to protect "some really left-wing programs." "The American people now see the true picture," Lott said. "The budget battle is not over spending levels. It's over social agenda. This is bad. It tells a very clear picture of what we are really dealing with in this administration." During final action on the bill, Republicans tacked on so-called riders that bar the city from legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes (an initiative passed overwhelmingly by D.C. voters in 1998), supplying clean needles at no cost to drug addicts, and implementing other controversial social policy initiatives. In a three-paragraph message vetoing the D.C. funding bill Tuesday, Clinton said Congress had no right to meddle in purely local decisions, particularly since it cannot do so in any other local jurisdiction in the country. The Clinton administration said congressional interference threatens millions of dollars in proposed new fiscal 2000 funding to fight crime, provide tuition assistance to needy college-age students, and improve children's health in the District of Columbia. Also at risk is $300 million in proposed tax cuts over five years for city residents and businesses - the biggest cuts in District history. Texas Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, chair of the Senate subcommittee that oversees District appropriations, said congressional Republicans "will not back down."© 1998 Philadelphia Newspapers Inc. Related Article: Bill Introduced To Council Include Legal Marijuana [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Dankhank on September 30, 1999 at 14:57:55 PT: GOP EVIL The GOP Perfidy goes beyond nonsense and elevates to pure and simple EVIL. How these self-styled "representatives of Democracy" can stand before the country and say that DC children may see delayed scholarships or other programs because our representatives have a truly vapid, venal and vituperative attitude of what "Freedom is."Rep. Hastert castigates President Clinton for pursuing a "left-wing" agenda, while demanding that he instead pursue Hastert's "right-wing" agenda.In fact: Republicans seem to be pursuing an "anti-freedom" agenda the likes of which will scandalize historians of the future when study of the late 90's is conducted.Republicans claim to be for less federal interference on the local level while shrilly screaming about "the children," and using the children as a foil to further punish residents of DC for choosing to live under the control of a bizarre, cynical cabal of insensitive pathetic liars : The Republican Party.Everyone MUST immediately contact their respective representatives and tell them in as strongly non-profane speech as seems appropriate. Use the Links at the end of this article. PS, everyone could also e-mail Senators Hastert and Lott, Representatives Hutchinson and Inhofe, AND President Clinton about this mess. Thank Clinton for vetoing the DC budget bill, and let him know you want Initiative 59 to become law.Mail them, be nice, but forceful, and get your friends to do the same. Do It Quickly, there is little time ...Peace ... and Fight the Fight !!!http://congress.nw.dc.us/rollcall/congdir.htmlhttp://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/EOP/html/principals.htmlHere You Are ............. Get Busy ................ :-) Hemp n Stuff [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Thomas on September 30, 1999 at 08:32:38 PT GOP Nonsense What I'm getting from this is that the GOP is threatening to take away scholarship money if they don't get their way. They are basically saying "Don't force us to punish you. Back down now while you still have a chance." that's great. I guess no matter what it takes in this "life-and-death" struggle for our children, we must do what ever is necessary. I think the desperation of the right wing is becoming quite obvious in regards to cannabis and we can expect to see even more irrational attacks on people fighting for their freedom. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: