Last week, during a hearing with the Deputy Director of the Office of Drug Policy, there was a moment of clarity for me. I was struck by the realization that our own office, charged with drug policy, discouraging or eliminating drug use…

Wednesday, in a congressional hearing, under oath, Michael Botticelli, the Deputy Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, could not answer my direct questions: What is more dangerous, methamphetamine or marijuana? How many…

Before turning to the subject at hand, I really hope that people look at the CBO report that was referenced by my good friend from Pennsylvania, and you will find that the 2 million people who would no longer be working, are not going to…

We are used to a world with gloomy news regarding the jarring impact and threats of climate change. We are experiencing wildfires in the Pacific Northwest this winter. The snowpack is a small percentage of normal, which is not just bad…

Let me suggest that your inability to answer me whether tobacco or marijuana is more dangerous, again, is part of the problem.

We have been engaged in an experiment of over 40 years of prohibition of marijuana, which has failed spectacularly.

I don't want kids smoking marijuana; I agree with the chairman.

We have been able to drop tobacco use without locking people up, without arresting.

I think that your equivocation right there, being unable to answer something clearly and definitively, when there is unquestioned evidence to the contrary, is why young people don't believe the propaganda.

While I deeply respect my friend and colleague from Oregon, I have a slightly different perspective on this because I think the bill that is before us today is absolutely the least that could be done to get the bill passed. It has a number…

This is a sad moment as we consider a farm bill that has the least amount of reform possible to secure passage. I am thankful that some of the most hateful and egregious-- like the King amendment--have been stripped out, but the savings…

whiskey was for drinking and water is for fighting.

No sooner had the United States recognized the failure of alcohol prohibition by repealing the 18th Amendment than the United States embarked upon another failed experiment in prohibition: marijuana. For three-quarters of a century, the…

We are in a new year, and a new session. The Affordable Care Act is the law of the land, and we should find a way to move past this empty, meaningless bickering. I will vote against H.R. 3811 because this bill is a diversion tactic by the…

We haven't actually moved forward to try to work carefully, to thoughtfully, in a bipartisan session, refine it. We are going ahead and trying to superimpose on top of it things that will undercut that effort. Now, I am critical of what…

I appreciate the gentleman's courtesy and leadership here on the floor. When I first heard that we were going to be dealing with Superfund reforms and modifications, I was originally encouraged. I have been working with these issues on the…

Our interim agreement with Iran gives us an opportunity to unwind seemingly intractable, interrelated conflicts throughout the Middle East. There is no reason for Congress to complicate by further enhancing sanctions now that are already…

When I saw that the legislative agenda for this week was going to deal with the beleaguered Superfund program, I was encouraged; but when I saw what my Republican colleagues actually proposed, I was saddened and disappointed. Across…

It appears as though the rumored sanctions legislation dealing with Iran may not reach the floor this week. This would be good news. It is imperative that we take this optimistic development that gives us a chance for a diplomatic…

Last week I was proud to stand with representatives of the U.S. Chamber, the AFL-CIO, contractors, local government, transit, truckers, AAA, engineers, and environmentalists, all supporting my legislation, H.R. 3636, to update the gas tax…

In the rush to wrap up and go home, there is too much unfinished business, including leaving 2.15 million long-term unemployed in the lurch. But one item should not be on the agenda: an attempt to undermine the diplomatic breakthrough with…

I support H.R. 3309, the Innovation Act, as a step in the right direction to address the growing and serious issue of abusive patent lawsuits or ``patent trolling.'' We need to be careful that certain provisions of this legislation do not…

For as long as I have been in Congress, both parties and two successive administrations have danced around the issue of our infrastructure deficit. For all the attention to the various fiscal cliffs, the looming infrastructure deficit is…

I deeply appreciate the gentleman from California yielding time to me, and I appreciate his leadership in focusing on where the economy is and where it needs to go. I think it is important to look back in time because you are absolutely…

If we rely simply on current cash flow in the next fiscal year, we will see a 92 percent reduction in highway funding, and the transit budget will be zeroed out. And over the next 10 years, with the current revenue level, we will see a 30…