Hoyer: DC Has Legal Authority to Implement Initiative 71

Statement

House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement today in support of the District of Columbia's legal authority to implement its marijuana legalization initiative on Thursday:

"When Congress provided for home rule for the District of Columbia more than forty years ago, the objective was to provide residents of our nation's capital the ability to govern their own local affairs, just as Americans in every other state, county, and municipality do. I have no doubt that Initiative 71, which the residents of the District of Columbia adopted last November, fully complies with the 1973 DC Home Rule Act as well as with all federal statutes that have a bearing on how the District conducts its business.

"Congress has a long list of real and immediate problems that need to be addressed, not the least of which is ensuring that the Department of Homeland Security is funded beyond this Friday. It is my hope that the 114th Congress will cease standing in the way of District of Columbia residents' democratic will and intimidating District officials with legal threats and instead focus on what needs to be done to meet our nation's most pressing challenges."

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