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| | Washington Digest
Sunday, Jul 11, 2004 By Samantha Young and Allecia Vermillion Stephens Washington Bureau WASHINGTON - The House this week approved legislation funding the state and justice departments, taking key votes to preserve an anti-terrorism law, overturn Bush regulations on mailing packages to Cuba and voicing its opposition to medical marijuana usage. The Senate capped off a week of partisan debate on class-action lawsuits, which fell short of the needed support to get a final vote. House preserves Patriot Act The House barely defeated efforts to overturn sections of an anti-terrorism law which opponents said violates civil liberties. The amendment by Rep. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., would have barred the Justice Department from reviewing library records or bookstore purchases as a means to identify terrorists. Republicans extended the vote for 30 minutes, encouraging some of their own to pull their support from the amendment. The final vote was 210-210, killing the measure. Critics said the library provision was a violation of civil liberties, but Justice officials contended the law provides safeguards by requiring federal authorities to gain a court order to access the records. Reps. Mike Ross, D-Prescott, and Vic Snyder, D-Little Rock, voted to overturn the provision. Rep. John Boozman, R-Rogers, voted to preserve the library searches. Rep. Marion Berry, D-Gillett, did not vote. House objects to medical marijuana use The House defeated a measure that would have blocked the Justice Department from prosecuting people who use marijuana in states that allow its medical use. Opponents said the measure would encourage marijuana use. They also contended that federal statutes outlawing marijuana override state laws. Supporters framed the issue as one of states rights and criticized the Justice Department for "putting sick people in jail." Nine states have medical marijuana laws: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont and Washington. Last year, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco ruled the federal law outlawing marijuana does not apply to those who use the drug under a physician's guidance. The Bush administration has appealed the decision to the Supreme Court. Lawmakers voted 268-148 to allow the federal government to continue prosecuting people who use marijuana for medical purposes. Boozman, Berry, Ross and Snyder voted to allow the federal government to prosecute. House overturns Cuba restrictions Lawmakers rebuked Bush administration's regulations banning Cuban-Americans from mailing supplies home to their family members. Implemented last month, the regulations also limit the amount of personal baggage travelers can take to Cuba. The regulations are part of U.S. efforts to tighten the existing trade and travel embargoagainst the communist nation. Critics said the new regulations went too far in banning Americans from sending personal items like clothes, deodorant and other personal hygiene products. Supporters of the administration policy say tougher restrictions are needed to punish Cuban leader Fidel Castro. Lawmakers voted 221-194 to temporarily suspend the regulations. The provision is expected to be scrutinized by the Senate. Boozman, Berry, Ross and Snyder voted to suspend the regulations. Senate shelves class-action lawsuit legislation The Senate set aside legislation curbing class-action lawsuits amid partisan squabbling over unrelated amendments. Rather than allow Democrats the opportunity to offer minimum wage and prescription drug reimportation legislation, Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., pulled the class-action bill from the Senate floor after lawmakers refused to limit debate on the measure. The class-action bill had enjoyed widespread support among Republicans and about a dozen Democrats. The bill would have shifted class-action lawsuits from state courts to federal courts. In a procedural vote, the Senate voted 44-43 to limit debate on class action and force a final vote on the bill. Supporters fell 14 votes short of the 60 votes needed. Sens. Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor, both D-Ark., voted to continue the debate. Federal judge approved After a bitter six-hour debate this week, senators approved the nomination of J. Leon Holmes to the federal bench in Arkansas. Bush's nomination of the Little Rock attorney drew sharp criticism from some Democratic senators who highlighted Holmes' opinions on abortion and women. Holmes, who is Catholic, left a 25-year trail of writings that decry abortion and suggest women should be subordinate to men. He has since apologized for some statements, including a letter to the editor in which he stated, "conceptions in rape occur with approximately the same frequency as snowfall in Miami." Supporters of Holmes said the lawyer was being persecuted for his religious beliefs. The Senate approved Holmes 51-46. Lincoln and Pryor voted for him. -- 30 -- |
