Despite the fact that about 70 percent of D.C. voters approved of a law legalizing small amounts of marijuana in the city, Republicans in Congress say they know what is best and are planning to fight the legalization vote.
Several media outlets have reported from sources that House Appropriations Committee Chairman Harold Rogers, a Republican from Kentucky, says he plans to introduce a rider on the omnibus spending bill that would prevent D.C. from funding any changes to marijuana laws. Rogers is picking up where Maryland Republican Rep. Andy Harris left off last spring and summer.
Congress has used similar tactics to fight abortion rights issues in D.C. in the past.
Congress has to vote on the spending bill by December 12.
A group of bipartisan lawmakers got together last month in support of the bill. Colorado Democratic Rep. Jared Polis urged his fellow lawmakers to not stifle the voice of D.C. residents who have chosen to end some of the racially-discriminated and overly-biased enforcement of unjust drug laws.
“I think we can work together to muster a bipartisan majority to avert any backdoor mechanisms to prevent the will of the D.C. voters from being implemented,” Polis said at a press conference in November.
