Political Quotes

“Mr. Chair, section 9 of the bill would provide guidance in sentencing during the current problematic time for courts, prosecutors, and defendants. Courts are having difficulties similar to those of law enforcement because of the constantly evolving nature of synthetic drugs and their chemical makeup. Recently, the U.S. Sentencing Commission unanimously approved a slate of new amendments to the sentencing guidelines. Among them are guidelines for the three most potent classes of synthetic analogues being imported from China and distributed in the United States. I view this as a tremendous step forward in providing guidance to courts, which are performing very labor-intensive examinations during sentencing proceedings This amendment would strike section 9 of the bill. Chairman Goodlatte has spoken to and received correspondence from Judge William Pryor, acting chairman of the Sentencing Commission. Both he and his staff have assured Chairman Goodlatte that synthetic drug guidelines will remain a priority for the commission. I am agreeable to striking section 9 of this bill, and I encourage the Sentencing Commission to continue its important work and to provide guidance to the courts in these often complex cases. I support the Jackson Lee amendment and encourage all Members to do likewise. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.”