Mario Díaz-Balart

If you want to just briefly touch on your thoughts on that?

It is also pretty clear that they are not, frankly, in the business of exporting, western values, like democracy and the rule of law and human rights.

He went on to say that a much larger amount of drugs will flow up from Latin America and that he believes that U.S. authorities only seize about 20 percent of the narcotics in transit to the United States.

So many issues in the world, but I would like to bring it closer to home, to our hemisphere.

I support the President's budget request for fiscal year 2015.

Let me shift a little bit now to Venezuela, if I may? INL's 2014 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report lists Venezuela as both a major money laundering country and a major drug transit country.

Thank you, gentlemen, for your service to our country.

I would be remiss without first thanking you, and I have even written you a letter in which you responded very quickly, by the way, for I think in the administration nobody has been more forthcoming on support and solidarity with those who…

But, Mr. Holder, the question is, obviously Congress can do what it may, but Congress is not the one who has decided to allow or to not go after folks in a couple of States who now are, in essence, selling marijuana.

I think you all have--and you really do, because you are in charge and you do so--I mean you do--great risk in that case.

I think if a banker receives guidelines on how to deal with certain entities from the Federal government, I think that in itself would make it very unclear whether it is something that is illegal under Federal law.

the Caribbean leaders are saying, maybe we should just legalize--they talk about at this stage, legalize, the production of marijuana.

Is there going to be an organized, established, bureau, a process, a commission?

The other issue is, let me switch gears, it is the IRS's plans--there are no plans to move forward with the Real Time Tax System.

I think a big part of that is that we are getting mixed messages from the Federal Governments as to whether it is okay.

If it wants to change a law, it should either come to Congress or at the very least propose regulations to make the changes prospective.

It is calling into question millions of dollars of tax-exempt bonds already in the hands of investors.

I can't confirm that.

According to Federal law, it is not a minor, benign substance. It is the same, according to Federal law, as other Schedule 1 controlled substances.

It is your responsibility to enforce Federal law; my understanding is that it has not changed that marijuana is illegal under Federal law.

And will you pledge to adhere to the report language in the current fiscal year 2014 omnibus?

As far as Congress is concerned, marijuana is illegal in Federal law. That has not changed, and your role is supposed to be, among the roles, is to enforce that Federal law.

The fact that you have marijuana that is according to federal law as illegal, and yet you have at least the DEA looking the other way by different aspects of the Federal Government.

I was pleased that they at least admitted to me that they were--the person said, I was not authorized to tell you the truth.

Every time I went there, what I got from Bill Young was, frankly, a lesson.