>Sender: >To: >X-Original-Message-ID: <03c801bf087d$6ff9a870$9acf69cf@pacbell.net> >From: "Peter McWilliams" >Subject: Barr Barr the Arrogant Ignorant GOP Elephant >Date: Sun, 26 Sep 1999 17:15:17 -0700 >X-Mozilla-Status: 8001 >X-Mozilla-Status2: 00000000 > > >2 articles: > >Pubdate: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 >Source: Roll Call (DC) >Copyright: 1999 Roll Call, Inc. >Contact: letters@rollcall.com >Website: http://www.rollcall.com/ >Author: Stacey Zolt > >REPUBLICANS TAKE AIM AT MARIJUANA REFERENDUM > >As city leaders fight to protect the D.C. voter referendum to legalize >medical marijuana, GOP Congressional sources warn there is more at stake >than home rule. > >The District's fiscal 2000 budget may emerge from the battle with less >funding for the city if President Clinton vetoes the budget in the interest >of supporting District voters' rights, GOPsources said. But the Clinton >administration disputes that contention. > >"There is no reason that a possible [continuing resolution] should lead to >a situation which would deprive the District of Columbia of funding," said >Office of Management and Budget spokeswoman Linda Ricci. > >The conference report contains an amendment written by Rep. Bob Barr >(R-Ga.) that would block implementation of medical marijuana use in the >District even though measure 59 passed with 69 percent of the vote. > >Clinton has vowed to veto the bill in opposition to the legislative riders >attached to the budget. He is slated to receive the bill today and has 10 >days to act. > >Meanwhile, Barr has threatened to introduce legislation that would block >the marijuana referendum if his language doesn't pass with the >appropriations package. > >House Appropriations subcommittee on the District Chairman Ernest Istook >(R-Okla.) and Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.) hope to convince the President to sign >the bill in the interest of preserving funding for the district. > >Istook spokeswoman Micah Swafford explained that the 1997 budget caps could >hurt the D.C. bill if Clinton sends the bill back to the Hill and it gets >tossed into omnibus appropriations legislation. > >"If the D.C. bill is combined with several other bills, money will >definitely be taken from the D.C. bill to fund other projects in other >bills," she said. > >And the chances of appropriators revising the bill on its own and sending >it back to the president as a stand-alone entity are slim. > >But while Clinton has not stated full support for the medicinal use of >marijuana, he has supported the measure as an act of self-government by the >District. > >Ricci said Clinton still stands by his veto threat. "There are a wide range >of provisions in this [bill] that would keep the District from being able >to run its business freely and in a way that is consistent with home rule," >she said. > >Congress has 30 days to proactively stop measure 59 from being enacted. If >the fiscal 2000 appropriations bill is signed into public law, the medical >marijuana initiative will be essentially nullified, GOP sources said. > >But Barr has his own plan of attack, drafting legislation yesterday to stop >the legalization in the event of a presidential veto on the appropriations >bill. Barr said he will introduce this new bill if the D.C. City Council >moves to enact measure 59. > >"Despite the lofty rhetoric we hear from Washington activists, the District >of Columbia is the only federal political jurisdiction in the United >States," Barr said. > >D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams (D) has "regrettably" asked Clinton to veto the >D.C. appropriations bill because of all of the social riders attached to >it. The mayor has supported the medical marijuana initiative since his 1998 >campaign. > >"The mayor has made his position clear and will make his position clear," >Ken Snyder, Williams' communications director, said. > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >Pubdate: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 >Source: Washington Post (DC) >Section: Metro >Copyright: 1999 The Washington Post Company >Address: 1150 15th Street Northwest, Washington, DC 20071 >Feedback: http://washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/edit/letters/letterform.htm >Website: http://www.washingtonpost.com/ > >MARIJUANA INITIATIVE THREATENED > >Rep. Robert L. Barr Jr. (R-Ga.) said yesterday that he will introduce >legislation to nullify Initiative 59, the District referendum to legalize >the medical use of marijuana, if the D.C. Council enacts the measure and if >a budget standoff between the White House and Congress stalls a separate >city marijuana ban. > >"It would be a travesty for Congress to stand by and allow a handful of >activists to overturn federal narcotics laws with an argument that is, >medically speaking, the worst kind of quackery," Barr said. > >District voters approved the initiative in November, 69 percent to 31 >percent, but the votes were not tallied until Monday after a federal judge >rejected Congress's attempt to seal the results. > >Separately, Congress has passed a Barr amendment to pending D.C. >appropriations legislation prohibiting any city attempt to loosen drug >regulations, although President Clinton has threatened to veto the bill for >unrelated reasons. > > > > > > > > >================================================================ > >This message is sent to you because you are subscribed to > the mailing list . >To unsubscribe, E-mail to: