hearing. also on c-span2 senate continues work on a bill to extend feder aviation administration programs for another five years. on c-span three will hear more about the presidents 2025 budget request with interior secretary deborah holland appearedefore the senate ergy natural resources committee. that alltarts at 10:00 a.m. eastn but you can watch our live coverage on the free c-span now video app or online at c-span.org. ♪ c-span is your unfiltered view of government that we are funded by these television companies and more including comcast. >> you think this is just a community center? it is way more than that. comcast is partnering with 1000 committee centers to create wi-fi enabled so students from low-income families can get the tools they need to be ready for anything. comcast support c-span as a public service along with these

other television providers. giving you a front row seat to democracy. senate majority leader chuck schumer senators ron wyden and cory booker re- introduced legislation without end the federal government restriction on cannabis allow for states to create and force her own cannabis laws in the hills of the u.s. drug enforcement administration's announcement of its intent to reclassify marijuana schedule one drug to a less dangerous schedule three drug. [inaudible conversations] >> sorry a lot going on. okay do i have to use this? no. it is great to be hear from sorry for being late. i'm sorry i'm going to have to

leave early. first, i've had two great comrades in our battle to get this done centers of booker and a white end. want to thank them for their lead on this issue with me and pushing for months and years both of them have a long good history to get this done. so today we are proud to say, the three of us are proud to say we are introducing the cannabis administration opportunity act. a comprehensive necessary updates to the federal government's approach cute to cannabis. over the decades millions of americans most often americans of color has had their lives the real destroyed by our field were on drugs. consequences of this harmful campaign linger onto this very day. i was pleased about yesterday's news at dea under the bite administration is preparing to take a truly historic step reit scheduling cannabis reschedule

one substance to a schedule three under the controlled substance act. reclassifying cannabis is necessary it is a long overdue step. but it is not the end of the story. it is not all we need to do. it is time for congress to wake up to the times and do its part by passing the cannabis reform that most americans have wished for. it is past time for congress to catch up with public opinion and to catch up with the science. i am proud to be the first majority leader ever to call for an end to the marijuana prohibition i've seen the consequences of the outdated drug laws and the benefits of common sense cannabis regulation at the state level. it is time for congress to follow suit. in this case the states were the laboratories of innovation and they have led the way. support for cannabis reform is growing in the senate.

our bill has 18 sponsors the most ever for this bill and we'll keep working to build more support when liberals, conservatives, activist, veterans groups, all come together on an issue that is a clear sign we've got momentum at our side and the wind is at our back. i'm proud of the bill we are releasing today. as i said our legislation will finally remove marijuana from the federal list of controlled substances. it will expunge the criminal records of so many americans with low level marijuana offenses that haunt them. and inhibit them for decades preventing them from getting digood jobs and pleading good strong life they will help our country close the book once and for all on the awful and harmful and failed war on drugs. which all too often has been nothing more than a war on americans of color. in short our bill is about individual freedom and basic fairness. o we cannot tolerate any longer the tragedy of the young person

getting arrested because they have a small amount of marijuana in their pocket. for years that is all it took. getting caught with a little bit of marijuana for you to get saddled with the serious a seril prevented the person getting a good job at buying a good hope, getting ahead in life. happens predominantly in black and latino communities that is unfair. that is un-american in our bill but right this grave wrong. in place of the war on drugs the bill would lay a foundation for something very different i just responsible common sense approach to cannabis regulation. let's find my next page here. here we go. a call for new guidelines help marlena products are labeled require hhs and nih to support ndresearch into cannabis health impacts and more. our bill would close the door on

it outdated harmful way of thinking at the federal level while allowing reform and sensible regulation to take root ship. root. once again i want too thank terrific partners in putting this together. it's been a long-standing effort. when is required a lot of feedback from the public and a lot of perseverance. majority leader i will continue to push for every chance we get drink federal cannabis policy to the 21st century passing our bill would be an excellent excellent way to make that happen. i apologize to all of you. i cannot be here going to be at my stake out at 2:30 p.m. you want to come and ask questions on and off topic but with that. quick scattered white and brick with some of the few events on the shortest person. [laughter] >> i will remind you we don't call it a stakeout anymore. [laughter] and veg out. [laughter]

thank you. >> the majority leader set very well. i am so glad to be here with my partner. we are partnering with projects. this is particularly important. let me talk about what i think the overnight issue was. iat think some people said lookt what is going on at the white house. this is another reason for everybody to just assume nothing happened here in the congress. we want to disabuse you of that. i believe what happened yesterday is a kick in the pants in terms of hey congress, and get going to deal with it. and particularly not just reschedule but to d schedule. my own view is d scheduling is a republicans dream. this is a monument to states rights. sometimes i think republicans go outte and give speeches and talk

about states rights but what they really mean is a beast states rights if they think the state is right. that is thought of senator booker and i look at this. we believe in states rights of this is the perfect kind of example. the other point i would make really quickly and then i'll alternate over to my friend. i feel really strongly about the end of this bizarre provision that basically stipulates even in states that have voted to legalize these small businesses get penalized and they don't get the sameet tax treatment as everyone else. it looks like there's going to be aax new day in terms of the x code. that is something very welcome. a lot of lifting to do. there is no question that republicans are looking at this new. when they hear senator booker and i talk about states rights, it will be talk about the fact just gost home and see what your

constituents say. because they have voted to go very often further than we saw yesterday. we aree going to have some momentum behind us. and more than anything i want to disabuse people of the notion that because the white house moved yesterday, things are going to be at a standstill here and then i states congress. i look at this is a chance to get new momentum for our bill. for action on capitol hill. my partner, senator booker i went to school and a basketball scholarship people don't really know but as a basketball player my mom came to all the games after a game shoots a dear, i know are going out. make sure you are running with the right crowd and i am with senator booker got the right crowd. >> thank you so much. >> 's has been a long journey for me personally but that's where the step in the journey gets me very excited. at their tremendous sense of

gratitude. we have arguably two of the most powerful people united states senate. leader schumer and the chairman of the finance committee. they are extraordinary leaders and have brought power and momentum in a way that makes me great confidence. with their leadership sleep seen more and more senators and signing on part has been slow but the progress the cosponsors we have are a testimony to the progress we are making. i want to be very personal this is been a long journey for me because as a young 20 something, knocking on thousands upon thousands of doors and one of the low census tracts i was very jarred i had just come from yale ghlaw school and had seen for my high school years and eight itmiddle-class affluent communi, to my college years to my graduate school years to my law school years marijuana use was

ubiquitous and had no consequence. people use it marijuana. from often other students and there is no consequence. but we go to community like the one i with them for the last quarter century you see it has had a devastatingng consequence. you see peopler arrested for things that people in other communities do routinely with the fear of no arrest. and, what people do not realize it has a destructive impact because of the difficulty in america getting a job at a fast food restaurant if you have a prior criminal arrest. you know that when you're applying for colleges you check that box. you know when you are applying for -- to rent from your housing comment to your health care, itear economic strength that hs a devastating impact. what is extraordinary is that

this enforcement of our marijuana laws does not make americans safer. if anything it makes us less safe. when the drive larger portions of a population into poverty because of those criminal convictions. when you seebe our precious law enforcement resources are being used to go after nonviolent marijuana users, and years like 2019 therere were more marijuana arrests that all violent crimes combined. you see it's a waste of law enforcement resources that is hurting our communities. our laws don't make sense. just in thee last two weeks i've talked to people who feel like criminals because they are accessing medical marijuana in places that don't have that reekedin legalize. for this people using it to fight ptsd or having seizures.

or even just the only thing they acan find to help them have a good night sleep and deal with their insomnia. and the hypocrisy in an institution were colleagues of mine have admitted openly about their marijuana use. and meanwhile young people in thisis country african american, latinos cannot get jobs for it in the same things that presidents and senators have done that. it's the height of up hypocrisy. so i think it is a great step by administration is moving in the direction of not making this a schedule one drug that is outrageous. but honestly the bill we are reintroducing today hypocritical frankly i'm equally enforced set of bad laws.

i am grateful and a standard deep gratitude for the leadership of senator wyden and senator schumer in the process we created the input we got how dishabille was shaped not just by the two wisdom i mentioned before their teams and my team but also so many activists and advocates in this space. there is only one benefit of seniority i couldn't duck the serious ones. [laughter] give them to the youngsters. i'll mention one other thing. the reality is a lot of folks in this country still remember the era of reefer madness. what i believe is being done now but you've seen the way the byadministration and the president, to his credit has wrestled with this issue personally. this is now moving that era to

finally be sidelined. push it to the side. ngwe are moving on we are relatd to a 21st century bird that's very historic. and in the context of what senatorr booker is talking abou, making sure you are getting justice particular for so many americans adults left out. >> this be attached to. excellentsenator booker talk ab. call for senator schumer. the big challenge looks like senate republicans are saying no to everything. i may be missing something but i'm involved inly a couple issus people care about deeply in particular something senate senatorbooker has been involvedn boosting the child tax credit helping with research and development costs. huge boost.

you figure out how to close off opportunities, a lot of senators are going to say to themselves how might mark must pass bills are there for the senate? i think what you have got is three senators who have felt a whole host of challenges we should be pursuing right now. but it looks to me as of noon here on wednesday the senate republicans are just close the door to everything. >> i always hope, i always hope the senate will have a burst of common sense and logic. we had a couple of those here recently but not as many as i in and my constituents would like but let men send terms of his header booker. quick sheet dominates the whole way anyway ruthlessly. then on. >> i just gave you the best answer i can muster up. >> wow. 'v[laughter] >> you have got a reality as of

noon and today the senate republicans seem to be putting up a blockade it. i use that word deliberately, against moving forward and some these other issues. >> yes, sir? >> some americans still have economic. [inaudible] economic advantages because you speak a little bit more to the american people the economic components? >> clearly opening up a pathway to businesses is important before he gets the individual and family impact i just want to say it's been frustrating to me. i have not had a light of high hopes for marijuana legalization creating a democratization of opportunity. because clearly and our communities the black and brown communities there's great business opportunities.

a lot of licensess were issued o minorities you and i both know what is happened over the last few years the inability to have operational funds. i could go through all the things the inhibitors towards creating wealth, business wealth entrepreneurial generational wealth to the cannabis industry. so what's happened it's a lot of multistate operators that are notg diverse. remember meeting with a group of african-american business leaders have gotten licenses and holding on for dear life. getting this out of the illegal area some of the things in unsafe banking decriminalizing this altogether would open up economic opportunity. i fear a lot of hope for this being an industry being reflective of the american people are gone now. you have seen a lot of women entrepreneurs. minority entrepreneurs being decimated by thehe spirit of

inaction by congress. that is something that's really frustrating to me. alcohol created generational fortunes for so many. that is now being denied to a lot of us who had hope about this. the other aspect of this which i don't think many of my colleagues intuitively understand this as much is obviously wyden and schumer talk about this a lot. i feel a sense of urgency because black people in 3.7 times more likely to have a marijuana conviction. i met middle-class african-american if you put race and economic status, it is significantly higher than that. and so i go home to communities mwhere there has been such a concentration of enforcement

relative to the communities and a lot of us here in congress have come from, including myself or they don't see that. they do not understand how economically devastating this is to a family. when i knocked on the stores that i told you about the first time in 199897 is when i started. most of the households that i was going to or at least a significant number of them would have someone come forward and say can you help my son? they have a charge, was the charge? it was a marijuana nonviolent drug charge but with the dust of the entire family in terms of the economic struggle is incalculable to me. and so yes when you expunge it records of senator wyden, senator schumer and those of us who are on this bill, when you expunge it records i have been to expungement hearings. i've seen the tears on people's eyes it's like economic shackles being anchorsrs being released d they can breathe again.

they can have freedom again. that is the urgency for millions of americans that have been affected by the enforcement of marijuana laws. >> people just feel reborn. that is a people come up to me and say is this a chance to end fx get a clean slate i really feel like a big reborn. we can take one other point why don't you go ahead pick which is there any concern this rule is finalized without legislation the inequity you talked about will be exacerbated? given the fact businesses will get tax rates in people who have been criminalized will not be advantage for. >> atextraordinary negotiation f my friend and senior senator, extraordinary negotiations. the banking law we almost got done in the last congress really got to the 1 yard line. it had elements of equity and inclusion in its that were very,

very important. and so i do not want to discount what we were able to negotiate. it was a step in the right direction. but, what does that mean? hearing this as rescheduled but if it is rescheduled but thank god it's being rescheduled but what does that mean for the 25-year-old that did the same thing that kids at leak institution stupid name of the criminal arrest does it alleviate the problem? eno it doesn't. if we get safe banking plus it done we get the bill we negotiated done, thank god we did. but what does it mean for the mom who is trying to raise three kids but is carrying a criminal conviction for doing things that two of the last four presidents admitted doing. i am happy we are making progress. but there are again millions of people the individuals who have been arrested. their families, their children,

this is not really for. that is what is important today. we are putting out a comprehensive bill that would address the ongoing cancerous injustices that are going on with the war on drugs. of the millions of people who are yearning to have justice. to put justice in their justice system and there financial onightmares. >> in terms of the rates, senator booker came to me early on and made the points that small independent really get clobbered under this kind of system. we are going to make sure and odyssey of debeb hearings and ty have to look at this. we are going to make sure those small independents paying much lower tax rates o number one you ought to remember it right now

those small independentspl and having problem getting the plumber and all other kinds of things because they're getting clobbered by an equitable taxes. i always felt on the finance committee the big guys figure out a way to cure themselves. what senator booker came and talked to me about was let's make sure these small companies. the mom and pop, women own and others get a fair shake that's my obligation on the chairman of the finance a committee. we are going to liberate aunt noaa got new momentum. >> so just as we close knit senator has delivered on housing tax credits he delivered on child tax credits a lot of big things done that have not created special programs it's leveling the playing field. >> and giving everyone a fair shot. what you have done on this bill. whatt we have done together is hope. it really is and i'm a prisoner of hope like you. and now the challenge becomes

doing federally what red states and blue states voters on both sides of the aisle have affirmed again and again and again. the american public supports this overwhelmingly the majority of the american republic support everything in our bill. this is not a partisan issue when it comes to the people. it's not left or right. folks want to move forward with the problem is congress right now. the efforts that we have to do to get bipartisan support to catch up to at the american people are who know these outrageous, these injustices and this self-imposed economic wounds we are putting on our society have to end. >> frees that last booker thoughts because this is catch a ball there is no question about it. people say where is the congress? in this case the american people or laps ahead of his thank you everybody. >> thank you.

[inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] ♪ is there a relationship between soft and hard money and super packs? can you explain the difference between dual federalism and cooperative federalism? rex liu a student planning to take advanced placement u.s. government and politics exam question or if so you're next on "washington journal" live saturday at 9:00 a.m. eastern for our annual grant for the year exam special to get the most fitnd strategies to succeed on the test. government teacher sunshine from el dorado, schoo from california will take your calls and text questions concept and structure of this year's exam. quick school areas to focus on.

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