Sheila Jackson Lee: “I thank the gentleman for his thoughtful amendment, and I thank him for helping to further enhance this bill. For…”

“I thank the gentleman for his thoughtful amendment, and I thank him for helping to further enhance this bill. For clarity's sake, let me be very clear. This bill decriminalizes possession on the Federal level. All State laws and all State law enforcement are able to do their job. But let me remind you, Mr. Speaker, the President has put in an enormous amount of money for reducing crime in his budget. This legislation is extremely important for those of us who recognize the key responsibilities on the Nation's highways. That is a Federal responsibility, and the gentleman has offered an important amendment to give $10 million to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to find the technology to enhance safety on highways. The bill also includes a requirement that a study should be conducted to understand the societal impacts of decriminalizing marijuana, including the impact on juveniles, education, transportation, veterans, employment, and many others. The gentleman's amendment, Mr. Gottheimer's, enhances this bill and makes it a direct response to the concerns that Americans may have. Mr. Speaker, I support the amendment and the underlying bill, and I thank the gentleman for clarifying this important responsibility.”