Setting an agenda means setting priorities. Based on the agenda of the U.S. House of Representatives, apparently marijuana is a priority of Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).
It must be so, because on December 4 she used some of the little legislative time remaining in this Congress to bring up H.R. 3884, the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2019. H.R. 3884 not only… Read more »
On Thanksgiving and throughout the holiday season that follows, we count our blessings. As we do so, it is also important to remember those who may be less fortunate, both in our neighborhoods and around the world.
At a recent meeting of a bipartisan, nondenominational prayer breakfast that convenes when the House of Representatives is in session, David Beasley gave the featured remarks.… Read more »
The process for electing a president of the United States continues to play out according to the Constitution. It includes several steps, none of which involve media organizations calling the race or projecting winners.
Instead, states count the votes for the purposes of choosing electors to vote in the Electoral College, and the Electoral College’s tally must be certified by Congress.… Read more »
November 11 is Veterans Day. Each year, Americans take this day to honor the men and women who have served in defense of our liberties in the United States Armed Forces.
It began as Armistice Day, commemorating the end of World War I at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918. Now veterans of all conflicts in which our country has been engaged are recognized… Read more »
The nineteenth century British statesman Lord Palmerston once defended his foreign policy by declaring, “We have no eternal allies, and we have no perpetual enemies. Our interests are eternal and perpetual, and those interests it is our duty to follow.”
His words should be heeded today. When the policies of the past no longer align with the realities of today, they must be… Read more »
News stories during an election season often focus on the ups and downs of opinion polling. As a decision nears, polls become central to reporting and analysis, and often affect the enthusiasm of the various candidates’ supporters and opponents.
In a republic based on democratic principles, opinion polls occupy a meaningful role in discerning public sentiment. It would be a mistake,… Read more »
The process of advice and consent for a new Supreme Court Justice is currently under way in the United States Senate.
While I play no part in this constitutional process as a U.S. Representative, I am impressed by the legal ability of President Trump’s nominee to the seat, Judge Amy Coney Barrett.
Senate Democrats, however, have chosen to wage a pre-emptive war on Judge Barrett. They… Read more »
In presidential election years, we debate the issues our country faces. Increasingly, the way our country chooses the president has become an issue up for debate.
The Electoral College was the mechanism decided upon in the Constitution to elect the chief executive. It gives each state a vote for president and vice president equal to its combined number of U.S. senators and… Read more »
Since COVID-19 first developed, we have learned a lot about the virus. Although far from unlocking all its secrets, scientists now know much more about its symptoms and transmission, as well as how to treat it.
By contrast, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) does not appear to have learned much over the past few months. That is the unfortunate lesson to be drawn from her decision… Read more »
Responses to the coronavirus pandemic introduced a distinction between “essential” and “non-essential” workers.
Based on how Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has been running the U.S. House of Representatives lately, she seems to think Members of Congress fall in the “non-essential” category.
I have written previously about how the proxy voting rules instituted in the House run afoul of the… Read more »
