Why House Majority Leader Steve Scalise is bad news for cannabis

The GOP nominee to replace Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) as speaker of the House of Representatives — one of the most powerful positions in the U.S. government — has opposed nearly every cannabis bill in the last 15 years of his term.

Scalise dropped out of the race for House speaker on Thursday evening.

In a closed session to replace McCarthy as speaker on Wednesday, Rep. Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana) was chosen as the clear nominee. Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), the next nominee, lost the nomination by a vote of 113-99. However, on Thursday, it appeared that Scalise no longer had enough votes to become the next speaker.

McCarthy was successfully ousted as House Speaker on October 2, in a rare ouster led by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida). The Associated Press reports that the speaker’s ouster was a “first in U.S. history” and resulted from the efforts of a far-right faction that splintered.

With Congress facing a Nov. 17 budget deadline to avoid a government shutdown, there is a growing sense of urgency to select a new speaker.

“First, I want to thank my Republican colleagues in the House of Representatives for simply nominating me to be speaker,” Scalise said upon hearing the news of his nomination. “Of course we still have a lot to do. We need to go up to the House floor, resolve the issue, and then get the House reopened. We have a lot to do in the House of Representatives, not only for the people of this country, but we also see how dangerous the world is and how things can change so quickly.”

The future of cannabis legislation at the federal level depends on cooperation with House leadership.

Who is Rep. Steve Scalise on cannabis?

Cannabis reports suggest Scalise could pose a potential obstacle to state cannabis laws if Scalise is elected speaker. NORML gave him an “F” grade, noting that he has opposed almost every cannabis bill he has ever voted on – the only exception being the Medical Marijuana Research Act, or HR 5657, in 2022. Once in 2016 He voted against the Veterans Equal Access Amendment and voted against two versions of the SAFE Banking Act a few years later.

While he wasn’t perfect, at least relative to McCarthy, he voted for federal cannabis banking legislation twice.

The Dales Report agreed, calling Scalise a “cannabis opponent” and pointing out that the next speaker could have implications for the Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation (SAFER) Banking Act. The good news is that the bill can still become law if Scalise is elected speaker and blocks the SAFER Banking Act.

When asked: “Do you support the legalization of marijuana at the federal level?” his spokesman replied. “Congressman Scalise is a staunch conservative who wants to know what his constituents think on issues,” Scalise spokesman TJ Tatum wrote in an email to CQ Roll Call. “Scalise opposes the legalization of marijuana because, as law enforcement officials have noted, it is a gateway to more dangerous drugs, but he always values ​​hearing the views of people throughout his district.”

“Let me be clear: Nancy Pelosi is blocking a bill that would provide unused Paycheck Protection Program funds to workers and small businesses,” Scalise tweeted on November 20, 2020. “But she made it, time for a vote on the marijuana -Legislation to be found.” week.”

Let me clarify:

Nancy Pelosi is blocking a bill that would provide unused Paycheck Protection Program funds to workers and small businesses.

But she managed to find time for a vote on marijuana legislation this week.

RT calls on Democrats to stop blocking aid to Americans in need NOW!

— Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) November 30, 2020

“What are Pelosi’s Democrats doing this week?” Scalise tweeted on March 31, 2022: “Nothing about inflation. Nothing on the border. Nothing about gas prices. Nothing in the supply chain. Nothing about crime. A marijuana bill. What a joke.”

What are Pelosi’s Democrats doing this week?

Nothing about inflation.
Nothing on the border.
Nothing about gas prices.
Nothing in the supply chain.
Nothing about crime.

A marijuana bill.

What a joke.

— Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) March 31, 2022

Why selecting new speakers is important

The speaker serves as the de facto leader of the U.S. House of Representatives and is an important part of America’s system of checks and balances, designed to prevent one body from gaining too much power.

By a vote of 135-88, Republicans rejected a rule change proposed by Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) that would have required a Republican candidate for speaker to have 217 or more votes before entering the House.

Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio) said in a tweet that unless Jordan drops out, the House will still vote for him — even if Scalise wins the nomination. Rep. Gaetz told reporters he would support Scalise locally, calling him an “upgrade” from McCarthy.

A quarter of Republicans said in a poll that they supported the decision to remove McCarthy as speaker, and three in 10 Republicans said they thought it was a mistake, according to a poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research .