U.S. Ambassador implicates Trump in House Intelligence Committee, while Judiciary approves decriminalized marijuana
During Wednesday’s morning hearings in D.C., Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, provided testimony to the House Intelligence Committee as part of the impeachment inquiry proceedings in the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives.
U.S. Ambassador Gordon Sondland speaks in the capital on November 20, 2019. EPA photo
While representing American interests in the inter-Atlantic relationship with the E.U., Sondland described a "quid pro quo" scheme, orchestrated by President Donald Trump and the Secretary of State, to pressure Ukraine to investigate the 2016 campaign and the Biden family in exchange for a White House meeting. Sondland implicated the President in opening remarks before Republicans and their Democrat colleagues, and said "everyone was in the loop" about the effort.
(right) Committee chair Adam Schiff (D-CA 28th District) sits next to Representative Devine Nunes (R-CA 22nd District). www.usatoday.com photo
Read Ambassador Sondland's opening statement.
Republicans portrayed this attempt to rid the U.S. government from the Trump administration as long standing. Their ranking member, Representative from California Devin Nunes, described the hearing as "storytime first thing this morning." Nunes noted that "Democrats have gathered zero support from Republicans in their impeachment effort." Republicans accused the inquiry as the unnecessary politics.
From the New York Times Opinion: Trump’s Corruption: The Definitive List
Nevertheless, the Democratic Representatives in the House conducted a productive day in the committee hearing with four witness testifying, and in the House Judiciary Committee, where radical U.S. drug policy was approved.
Marijuana decriminalized in Committee
The Judiciary bill seeks to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level. The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2019 (MORE Act) passed 24-10 after more than two hours of debate.
The bill proposes removing marijuana from the list of federally controlled substances. It makes lawful to have states set their own marijuana policy and require federal courts to expunge prior convictions for marijuana offenses. A 5% tax on marijuana products would establish a trust fund for programs designed to help people disproportionately impacted by the "war on drugs.”
The bill goes to the full House for consideration.