Political Quotes

“First and foremost, I would call my distinguished friend from Arizona's attention--whose constituents just approved legalization with a 60 percent margin--to the Rules Committee Print, which includes new provisions to ensure that employees working in safety-sensitive transportation positions regulated by the Federal Government would still be tested for illegal or unauthorized use of alcohol, marijuana, or other substances. Now, to be clear, no one wants to have people who are in these sensitive positions to be operating equipment, but there are several problems with the gentlewoman's position. First and foremost, as I pointed out in the course of my presentation, because the Federal Government interferes with the research in cannabis, and has for 50 years, there is no good test for impairment. Right now, I have heard from employers across the country, who are deeply concerned because as they test, and there is a trace of marijuana in the system, it continues for 30 days; long after there is any impairment. So we are having people's jobs jeopardized because we haven't done the research that would allow us to have a good test. The MORE Act, in the form that it is here, besides having the provisions that allow the testing to take place, would strip away the Federal Government interference with the research so that we can have a test that takes place. It is important for employers to be able to have this test.…”