In the Senate | Week of August 5th, 2024

This week in the United States Senate, the following business items were considered. To see all the workings of the Senate, please join us here!

Senate Debates

Election of the 120th Senate Leadership

S. Res. 001 | Rules of the Senate

S. 10 | The National Healthcare Act

S. 11 | Marijuana Decriminalization Act

S. 12 | The Business Tax Deductions Reduction Act

Nomination Hearings

Oracle, of the Commonwealth of Chesapeake, to be Secretary of State

Public Comment

Public Forum | Senate | Week of August 5th, 2024

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In the House of Representatives | Week of August 5th, 2024

This week in the United States House of Representatives, the following business items were considered. To see all the workings of the House, please join us here!

House Debates

Election of the 59th Speaker of the House

H.R. 40 | National Semiconductor and Investment Act

H.R. 41 | FTC Empowerment Act

H.R. 42 | The National Water Testing Act

Public Comment

Public Forum | HoR | Week of August 5th, 2024

ModelUSGov has moved entirely to Discord! This subreddit is used for recordkeeping and to get the word out about our favorite American political simulation!

Join us on Discord to debate and legislate today!

Hello there! Did you use to play on Model United States Government? Maybe you're new and trying to see if things are alive? Well let me tell you, the simulation has moved to discord permanently and we're alive and well. We have five vibrant political parties parties to sate your political appetite.

My name is Scribba and I serve as the President of the United States and as the Democratic Party Chair. I look forward to seeing you on discord! Whether as an adversary, or ally!

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Welcome to Morning Hour Debate!

Morning Hour debates are a regular occurrence in both houses of Congress that allows for members to engage in discourse surrounding issues that aren't on the floor in the form of legislation. These styles of threads will be opened regularly going forward and will focus on a specific hot-button political issue.

All members of the simulation are permitted to participate in this discussion. You do not have to be a sitting member of Congress to engage in these conversations.

#####The topic for this Morning Hour Debate will be: The use of technology in K-12 education

Please remember to be kind and courteous in your comments.

Welcome to Morning Hour Debate!

Morning Hour debates are a regular occurrence in both houses of Congress that allows for members to engage in discourse surrounding issues that aren't on the floor in the form of legislation. These styles of threads will be opened regularly going forward and will focus on a specific hot-button political issue.

All members of the simulation are permitted to participate in this discussion. You do not have to be a sitting member of Congress to engage in these conversations.

#####The topic for this Morning Hour Debate will be: The Death Penalty

Please remember to be kind and courteous in your comments.

-tired.

And who would you want to notify, or would your ass deny that your ass about to die? No, I’m not dying, in these 24 hours, at least. But when you think about it – when you’re writing your retirement post, you ask yourself what else could you have done, what else can you do, and is it time to go? And at the end of that question time the best thing for me is to finally go.

2015 – a random HS sophomore makes a reddit account in the middle of homeroom after finding an ad on the sidebar named r/ModelUSGov. “Wtf is that” – as any sane individual should ask when seeing this cursed subreddit. But an account and an attempt to interact with people here was the beginning of nearly a decade of getting to know you all. While I didn’t particularly interact with the sub in any real manner until 2017, but in 2018 I finally became a list rep for the first time for the sunset hours of the Communist-Socialist Party. PirateCody’s replacement. That would be the start of being here in a consistent manner. But it was a start to an attachment that’s kept me here for almost forever and a half.

I’ve been a Representative, Senator, President Pro Tempore, House Majority Leader for a day during House Maj Leader resignation fuckery, Majority Whip, Secretary of Defense and Homeland Security, State Attorney General, and State Supreme Court Justice+Chief Justice. It’s been a lot of work, and it’s been built on the help and relationships made with you all in the best, and worst of times. u/ModelAinin, I’m looking at you. You have been the miracle man in that Senate campaign in the hospital.

But over the years many of you all have come to know me as the Congressional clerk, and it was u/The_Powerben that gave me that chance to become a clerk and learn the chaos of the federal side as the Clerk of the House Committees. And good lord do I look back to that, how the actual grade-F fuck did I even do that for so long. But after a while I was able to take over the Senate as the Secretary of the Senate. And there was my bread and butter for years. Dealing with the daily fuckery of the Prelate Senate. But it taught me a lot about having to deal with changeover and just handling others in a place where you have to handle one side getting mad in any decision, or you have to handle everyone getting mad. And as much as I’ve lost it sometimes, (real ones remember the Lindsay lohan breakdown of 2020) there were so many around me here to help me when it felt like the rock bottom of my time here. Flash., SHOCK, Srajar and Goog were some of the biggest people in that department.

And of course, the position I say I am retiring from today – Head Federal Clerk. I have to say thank you to Srajar for letting me be a clerk for as long as I did and helping me experiment as much as possible in the procedural side of congress and help build-up the House and Senate in the better times of it. I want to thank Darth for taking the reins when he did and helping me become a better clerk and helping me deal with the daily side of working with the floor leader – as a former adversary when we were in different parties with so many different ideals and rules, to a great friend, clerk, leader, and confidant who I wish we got more time to speak before you went off to the real-er world. Hope you’re doing great man.

I wish to thank the DNC for letting me be their Party Whip after learning the reins and relationships to be a good whip and leader in congress. It was a rewarding job because it got me closest to being a leader in the chamber I always wanted to, but couldn’t be due to clerking the Senate. And I don’t regret it at all.

ModelUSGov is nothing without the people here. It is nothing without the relationships we joke around about in being terminally online with. And though we may have not spoken much in the end, or waned over time. It is the people I’ve met here who truly are some great humans to kill all the time we did with. And that I am happy about more than the time I’ve clerked. And I can’t go away without saying thank you to my clerks over the time. You know who you are. And I’m glad even for however long it was, you’ve contributed greatly to the Fed.

And that comes to the elephant in the room. I am quitting this position at a time where I have to be honest – I’ve equally helped the federal side over the time, but in the same respect equally contributed to the downfall of it. I leave this position as conflicted as ever because I know I could’ve and should’ve done better and feel semi-sleazy for just leaving and not doing what I could to give it a better shot. But in the same respect, you need to know when it’s time to let go, because someone else’s TLC can be part of the solution. And I know that my successor, Ninjja would be a fantastic replacement for this role.

Ninjja, while we have gone through years of fuckery in alliance, adversary, co-clerk, president, and congress, etc. etc., you are a friend, and I am glad that we got to work together for these 9000000000 years. I remember your name as one of the first names I’ve come across in this sim from the CU. And only despite our paths crossing later, you know this sim as the back of your hand more than pretty much anyone here. You will be a fantastic Head Federal Clerk. And I am glad that you will be my replacement. I am hopeful you can do what I couldn’t in steering this sim in a better way. I wish you all the luck and congratulations.

Guilty, Icy, Cry – you’ve got yourselves a good one. And thank you for tolerating my nonsense in the situation recently. I greatly appreciate your understanding and I wish you guys the luck and the best. Meta channel truly was a nice refuge from main, through the best and worst of times in this sim. And I’m sorry for not doing what I could to help.

With all this being said – no, I’m not leaving and disappearing into the ether of it all. But it is the end of my time as HFC, Secretary of the Senate, etc. I'll be fading into the background of the meta while still remaining as chief Justice in the Fremont court (yes I will finish that opinion soon I swear) and you’ll still see me here and around shit talking or casually joining in. But here comes my time to join the annals of the re- posts in this sim.

Thanks guys. :lovedoge: -Mitch.

S. 57

Yea - 1

Nay - 1

Citing a lack of quorum, the legislation failed.

H.R. 114

Yea - 5

Nay - 1

Abstain - 3

Seeing as a quorum was not present, the legislation failed.

S.

To amend the Controlled Substances Act and other statutes to provide for the decriminalization of drug possession and legalization of marijuana, provide more authority to Congress to include and removed controlled substances, and other purposes

IN THE SENATE

FEBRUARY 25, 2023

Mr. JohnGRobertsJr (for himself), introduced the following bill; which was subsequently referred to the Senate:

AN ACT

To amend the Controlled Substances Act and other statutes to provide for the decriminalization of drug possession and legalization of marijuana, provide more authority to Congress to include and removed controlled substances, and other purposes

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE, ETC.

(a) This Act may be cited as the “Controlled Substances Policies Reform Act of 2023”.

(b) This Act shall come into effect thirty days upon its passing into law.

(c) If any provision of this Act is ruled unconstitutional or otherwise unenforceable, the rest of the Act shall pass into law.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds that:

(1) The War on Drugs in the 1970s and 1980s was detrimental to the wellbeing of American society, imprisoning many innocents, especially minorities, for drug offense charges, targeting and tarnishing impoverished communities, and other acts by the Federal government and State and local governments that slighted people of color, especially African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans.

(2) Thousands are imprisoned even today for unrectified drug charges, mainly African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans.

(3) The real fight with drugs is not supposed to be with the consumer, but with the trafficker and distributor.

(4) The United States must alleviate the situation and prevent future issues from arising in a manner that prioritizes both reduction of drugs on American streets and reduction of persons being jailed for simple possession.

SEC. 3. AMENDMENTS TO REVOCATION OF LICENSES.

(a) Section 159(a)(2) of title 23, United States Code, shall be struck.

(b) Section 159(a)(3)(ii) shall be struck. (c) Section 159(c)(2)(A) shall be amended to read:

“(A) the possession, distribution, manufacture, cultivation, sale, transfer, or the attempt or conspiracy to possess, distribute, manufacture, cultivate, sell, or transfer any substance the possession production or distribution of which is prohibited under the Controlled Substances Act; or”.

SEC. 4. AMENDMENTS TO DRUG OFFENSES

(a) Section 401(b) of the Controlled Substances Act (21 USC § 841(b)) shall be renumbered to subsection (c) and subsequent provisions shall be renumbered accordingly.

(b) Section 401(b) shall be inserted and shall read:

“(b) Possession without evidence of attempt or intention to distribute

“(1) If no proof is evident that the accused had possession of a controlled substance or a counterfeit drug in order to–

“(A) distribute;

“(B) attempt to distribute; or

“(C) intent to distribute;

“the accused is not guilty of a crime under subsection (a) and shall not be punished.

“(2) Controlled substances or counterfeit drugs solely are not regarded as evidence and shall not be admitted in a court of competent jurisdiction.”

(c) Section 401(c), as redesignated under 4(a) of this Act, shall be amended by:

(1) Striking clause (1)(A)(vii);

(2) Striking clause (1)(B)(vii);

(3) Striking subparagraph (D); and

(4) Striking paragraph (4).

(d) Section 401(d)(1), 401(d)(2), and 401(d)(3), as redesignated under section 4(a) of this Act, shall be redesignated to Section 401(d)(A), Section 401(d)(B), and Section 401(d)(C).

(e) Section 401(d) shall be renumbered to Section 401(d)(1).

(f) Section 401(d)(2) shall be inserted and shall read:

“(2) Possession without evidence of intent to manufacture a controlled substance or knowledge of the manufacturing of a controlled substance

“If there is no evidence that the accused possessed a listed chemical with the intent to–

“(A) manufacture a controlled substance; or

“(B) that the accused had knowledge that the listed chemical will be used to manufacture a controlled substance;

“the accused is not guilty of a crime under section 841(c)(1) and shall not be punished.”

(g) Section 404 (21 USC § 844) shall be struck.

(h) Section 6486 of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 (Pub. L. 100-690) shall be struck.

(i) Section 409 of the Act (21 USC § 849), as added by section 180201 of the Drug Free Truck Stop Act (Pub. L. 103-322), shall be amended by inserting subsection (d) to read:

“(d) Provisions of Evidence of Intent Applying

“The provisions of section 841(b) of this title apply to this section.”

(j) Section 413 of the Act (21 USC § 853), as added by section 303 of the Comprehensive Forfeiture Act of 1984 (Pub. L. 98-473), shall be struck.

(k) Section 5301 (21 USC § 862) of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 (Pub. L. 100-690) shall be amended by:

(1) Striking subsection (b); and

(2) Striking “and (b)” in subsection (c).

(l) Section 115(a) (21 USC § 862a) of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Pub. L. 104-193) shall be amended by striking “possession, use, or”.

(m) Section 511 of the Act (21 USC § 881) shall be struck.

SEC. 5. REMOVAL OF MARIJUANA FROM THE SCHEDULED DRUGS UNDER THE CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES ACT

(a) CONGRESSIONAL AUTHORITY TO INSERT OR REMOVE CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES FROM SCHEDULES.—Section 201 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 USC § 811) shall be amended to read:

“SEC. 201. AUTHORITY AND CRITERIA FOR CLASSIFICATION OF SUBSTANCES.

“(a) LEGISLATIVE MEANS ONLY.—Only Congress shall have the authority to include or remove controlled substances from the schedules in section 202 of this Act.

“(b) FACTORS DETERMINATIVE OF CONTROL OR REMOVAL FROM SCHEDULES.—In making any finding under subsection (a) of this section or under subsection (b) of section 812 of this title, the following factors shall be considered with respect to each drug or other substance proposed to be controlled or removed from the schedules:

“(1) Its actual or relative potential for abuse.

“(2) Scientific evidence of its pharmacological effect, if known.

“(3) The state of current scientific knowledge regarding the drug or other substance.

“(4) Its history and current pattern of abuse.

“(5) The scope, duration, and significance of abuse.

“(6) What, if any, risk there is to the public health.

“(7) Its psychic or physiological dependence liability.

“(8) Whether the substance is an immediate precursor of a substance already controlled under this subchapter.”

(b) Subsection (c) of schedule I of subsection 202(c) of the Controlled Substances Act (21 USC § 812(c)) shall be amended by:

(1) Striking “(10) Marihuana.”; and

(2) Striking “(17) Tetrahydrocannabinols, except for tetrahydrocannabinols in hemp (as defined in section 297A of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946).”.

SEC. 6. REINSTATEMENT OF SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS TO INDIVIDUALS CONVICTED OF NONVIOLENT DRUG OFFENSES.

Section 922 of title 18, United States Code, shall be amended by:

(1) Striking subsection (d)(3) and redesignating all subsequent provisions accordingly;

(2) Striking subsection (g)(3) and redesignating all subsequent provisions accordingly; and

(3) Striking subsection (s)(3)(B)(iii) and redesignating all subsequent provisions accordingly.

SEC. 7. REINSTATEMENT OF FEDERAL AND STATE BENEFITS TO CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS CONVICTED OF DRUG OFFENSES.

(a) Section 5301 of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 (21 USC § 862) shall be amended by:

(1) Striking subsection (b);

(2) Striking “and (b)” from subsection (c); and

(3) Redesignating subsections (c) through (h) as subsections (b) through (g), respectively.

(b) Section 115 of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (21 USC § 862a) shall be amended by striking “possession, use, or”.

SEC. 8. REPEAL OF THE CRACK-HOUSE STATUTE.

Section 416 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 USC § 856, as added by section 1841(a) of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 (Pub. L. 99-570), shall be struck.

House Floor Results | 8/29/2023 | H.R. 129

H.R. 129 - Fails due to lack of quorum.

##Nānākuli Act

Section I: Short Title

(a) This piece of legislation shall be referred to as the “Nānākuli Act”

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

*Section II: Definitions

(a) “Tribe” shall be defined as the Native Hawaiian Tribe of Nānākuli.

Section III: Establishing the Reservation

(a) The federal government shall consider Nānākuli, within Honolulu County, as one (1) federally recognized tribal reservation for the purposes of federal recognition and federal benefits outlined in this act.

(b) the Secretary of the Interior shall negotiate with the tribe regarding the establishment of the reservation.

(c) Property on the agreed land shall be subject to foreclosure and sale in accordance with the terms set forth by the Secretary of the Interior and the tribe.

Section IV: Federal Benefits

(a) Federal recognition is extended to the Native Hawaiian Tribe and the corporate charter of the tribe. Except as otherwise stated in this act, all laws and regulations of the United States of broad application to Indians or nations, tribes, or bands of Indians shall be applicable to the tribe.

(b) The tribe and its members shall be guaranteed all federal benefits and services guaranteed to federally recognized Indian tribes. Members of the tribe residing in Honolulu County, living on or near the reservation, shall be entitled to federal services granted to Indian tribal members.

(c) The tribe and its members shall be granted full hunting, fishing, and trapping rights within the bounds of their Reservation.

(d) The Reservation shall, for purposes of prosecuting crimes, not be subject to state laws or regulations, unless the state complies with procedures necessary to obtain tribal consent outlined in 25 U.S.C. § 1321, and, where necessary, amends its constitution or statutes in agreement with 25 U.S.C. § 1324.

(e) No land obtained by the tribe shall be eligible to be used for class III gaming, as defined by 25 U.S.C. § 2703.

Section V: Tribal Government

(a) There shall be established an interim council of nine (9) tribal members. The council members shall be appointed by the Secretary of the Interior.

• If there is a vacancy in the council, the Secretary of the Interior shall appoint a member to fill the vacant seat.

(b) A tribal constitution shall be provided by the interim council, with guidance from the Department of the Interior. The terms outlined in such constitution shall be subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Interior.

(c) If approved by the Secretary of the Interior, the constitution shall be put up to a vote. If consent is gained from two-thirds (⅔) of the Tribal members the constitution and all of its terms shall be put into effect after 30 days.

Section VI: Implementation

(a) The Act shall go into effect six (6) months after signed into law.

Written and Sponsored by Congressman /u/Somali-Pirate-Lvl100 (R-US).

Endorsed and Partially Drafted by Fremont Governor /u/michaeldgrant (R)

H.R.

To amend section 1979 of the Revised Statutes to provide accountability to Federal, State, and local government officers for deprivation of rights of citizens under the Constitution and remove qualified immunity and absolute prosecutorial immunity for Federal, State, and local officers

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 8, 2023

Mr. Ninjjadragon (for himself), introduced the following bill; which was subsequently referred to the House of Representatives:

AN ACT

To amend section 1979 of the Revised Statutes to provide accountability to Federal, State, and local government officers for deprivation of rights of citizens under the Constitution and remove qualified immunity and absolute prosecutorial immunity for Federal, State, and local officers

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE, ETC.

(a) This Act may be cited as the “Accountability for Deprivation of Rights by Government Officers Act of 2023”.

(b) This Act shall come into effect thirty days upon its passing into law.

(c) If any provision of this Act is ruled unconstitutional or otherwise unenforceable, the rest of the Act shall pass into law.

SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF CIVIL ACTION FOR DEPRIVATION OF RIGHTS.

Section 1979 of the Revised Statutes (42 USC § 1983) shall be amended to read:

“SEC. 1979. CIVIL ACTION FOR DEPRIVATION OF RIGHTS.

“(a) Every person who, under color of any statute, ordinance, regulation, custom, or usage, of the United States or any State or Territory or the District of Columbia, subjects, or causes to be subjected, any citizen of the United States or other person within the jurisdiction thereof to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution and laws, shall be liable to the party injured in an action at law, suit in equity, or other proper proceeding for redress, except that in any action brought against a judicial officer for an act or omission taken in such officer's judicial capacity, injunctive relief shall not be granted unless a declaratory decree was violated or declaratory relief was unavailable.

“(b) Nothing in this section shall be construed to an exception from liability to a party injured in violation of subsection (a) of this section to any executive officer of the United States or any State or Territory or the District of Columbia involved at any point in the criminal process, including law enforcement and prosecutors.

“(c) If any person acting under color of law subjects or causes to be subjected any citizen of the United States or other person within the jurisdiction thereof to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution and laws, the public employer of that person shall be jointly and severally liable to the party injured for the conduct of its employee in an action at law, suit in equity, or other proper proceeding for redress, regardless of whether a policy or custom of the public employer caused the violation.

“(d) For the purposes of this section, any Act of Congress applicable exclusively to the District of Columbia shall be considered to be a statute of the District of Columbia.”

RESULTS

H.R. 126: Civil Service Improvement Act of 2023 fails with eight members voting in the affirmative and twelve in the negative, with three members abstaining and thirteen members absent.

H.R. 127: Territorial Incorporation and Representation Act of 2023 fails with seven members voting in the affirmative and sixteen in the negative, with thirteen members absent.

H.R. 128: Washington Institute Act of 2023 fails with three members voting in the affirmative and nineteen in the negative, with one member abstaining and thirteen members absent.

#Senate

S.48: Military Base Renaming Act of 2022 - Agreeing to the Bill

• Yeas - 8 Votes

• Nays - 0 Votes

• Abstains - 0 Votes

• No Votes - 1

The bill is agreed to. The motion to reconsider is made and laid upon the table. The Bill is sent to the House of Representatives for action.

Conference Committee

##HR.101 Conference Amendments ModelAinin Amendment to amend the bill

• Yeas - 2 Votes

• Nays - 4 Votes

• Abstains - 0 Votes

• No Votes - 0

The amendment to the bill is not adopted.

u/myhouseisonfire Motion to adopt the version of the House of Representatives

• Yeas - 2 Votes

• Nays - 3 Votes

• Abstains - 0 Votes

• No Votes - 1

The motion is not adopted.

##HR.101 has failed conference as no version was adopted for reporting to the House and Senate. The Senate or House by Concurrent Resolution may reopen the conference or may move to adopt and agree to the other house's version.

S.

To amend the Controlled Substances Act and other statutes to provide for the decriminalization of drug possession and legalization of marijuana, provide more authority to Congress to include and removed controlled substances, and other purposes

IN THE SENATE

FEBRUARY 25, 2023

Mr. JohnGRobertsJr (for himself), introduced the following bill; which was subsequently referred to the Senate:

AN ACT

To amend the Controlled Substances Act and other statutes to provide for the decriminalization of drug possession and legalization of marijuana, provide more authority to Congress to include and removed controlled substances, and other purposes

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE, ETC.

(a) This Act may be cited as the “Controlled Substances Policies Reform Act of 2023”.

(b) This Act shall come into effect thirty days upon its passing into law.

(c) If any provision of this Act is ruled unconstitutional or otherwise unenforceable, the rest of the Act shall pass into law.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds that:

(1) The War on Drugs in the 1970s and 1980s was detrimental to the wellbeing of American society, imprisoning many innocents, especially minorities, for drug offense charges, targeting and tarnishing impoverished communities, and other acts by the Federal government and State and local governments that slighted people of color, especially African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans.

(2) Thousands are imprisoned even today for unrectified drug charges, mainly African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans.

(3) The real fight with drugs is not supposed to be with the consumer, but with the trafficker and distributor.

(4) The United States must alleviate the situation and prevent future issues from arising in a manner that prioritizes both reduction of drugs on American streets and reduction of persons being jailed for simple possession.

SEC. 3. AMENDMENTS TO REVOCATION OF LICENSES.

(a) Section 159(a)(2) of title 23, United States Code, shall be struck.

(b) Section 159(a)(3)(ii) shall be struck. (c) Section 159(c)(2)(A) shall be amended to read:

“(A) the possession, distribution, manufacture, cultivation, sale, transfer, or the attempt or conspiracy to possess, distribute, manufacture, cultivate, sell, or transfer any substance the possession production or distribution of which is prohibited under the Controlled Substances Act; or”.

SEC. 4. AMENDMENTS TO DRUG OFFENSES

(a) Section 401(b) of the Controlled Substances Act (21 USC § 841(b)) shall be renumbered to subsection (c) and subsequent provisions shall be renumbered accordingly.

(b) Section 401(b) shall be inserted and shall read:

“(b) Possession without evidence of attempt or intention to distribute

“(1) If no proof is evident that the accused had possession of a controlled substance or a counterfeit drug in order to–

“(A) distribute;

“(B) attempt to distribute; or

“(C) intent to distribute;

“the accused is not guilty of a crime under subsection (a) and shall not be punished.

“(2) Controlled substances or counterfeit drugs solely are not regarded as evidence and shall not be admitted in a court of competent jurisdiction.”

(c) Section 401(c), as redesignated under 4(a) of this Act, shall be amended by:

(1) Striking clause (1)(A)(vii);

(2) Striking clause (1)(B)(vii);

(3) Striking subparagraph (D); and

(4) Striking paragraph (4).

(d) Section 401(d)(1), 401(d)(2), and 401(d)(3), as redesignated under section 4(a) of this Act, shall be redesignated to Section 401(d)(A), Section 401(d)(B), and Section 401(d)(C).

(e) Section 401(d) shall be renumbered to Section 401(d)(1).

(f) Section 401(d)(2) shall be inserted and shall read:

“(2) Possession without evidence of intent to manufacture a controlled substance or knowledge of the manufacturing of a controlled substance

“If there is no evidence that the accused possessed a listed chemical with the intent to–

“(A) manufacture a controlled substance; or

“(B) that the accused had knowledge that the listed chemical will be used to manufacture a controlled substance;

“the accused is not guilty of a crime under section 841(c)(1) and shall not be punished.”

(g) Section 404 (21 USC § 844) shall be struck.

(h) Section 6486 of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 (Pub. L. 100-690) shall be struck.

(i) Section 409 of the Act (21 USC § 849), as added by section 180201 of the Drug Free Truck Stop Act (Pub. L. 103-322), shall be amended by inserting subsection (d) to read:

“(d) Provisions of Evidence of Intent Applying

“The provisions of section 841(b) of this title apply to this section.”

(j) Section 413 of the Act (21 USC § 853), as added by section 303 of the Comprehensive Forfeiture Act of 1984 (Pub. L. 98-473), shall be struck.

(k) Section 5301 (21 USC § 862) of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 (Pub. L. 100-690) shall be amended by:

(1) Striking subsection (b); and

(2) Striking “and (b)” in subsection (c).

(l) Section 115(a) (21 USC § 862a) of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Pub. L. 104-193) shall be amended by striking “possession, use, or”.

(m) Section 511 of the Act (21 USC § 881) shall be struck.

SEC. 5. REMOVAL OF MARIJUANA FROM THE SCHEDULED DRUGS UNDER THE CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES ACT

(a) CONGRESSIONAL AUTHORITY TO INSERT OR REMOVE CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES FROM SCHEDULES.—Section 201 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 USC § 811) shall be amended to read:

“SEC. 201. AUTHORITY AND CRITERIA FOR CLASSIFICATION OF SUBSTANCES.

“(a) LEGISLATIVE MEANS ONLY.—Only Congress shall have the authority to include or remove controlled substances from the schedules in section 202 of this Act.

“(b) FACTORS DETERMINATIVE OF CONTROL OR REMOVAL FROM SCHEDULES.—In making any finding under subsection (a) of this section or under subsection (b) of section 812 of this title, the following factors shall be considered with respect to each drug or other substance proposed to be controlled or removed from the schedules:

“(1) Its actual or relative potential for abuse.

“(2) Scientific evidence of its pharmacological effect, if known.

“(3) The state of current scientific knowledge regarding the drug or other substance.

“(4) Its history and current pattern of abuse.

“(5) The scope, duration, and significance of abuse.

“(6) What, if any, risk there is to the public health.

“(7) Its psychic or physiological dependence liability.

“(8) Whether the substance is an immediate precursor of a substance already controlled under this subchapter.”

(b) Subsection (c) of schedule I of subsection 202(c) of the Controlled Substances Act (21 USC § 812(c)) shall be amended by:

(1) Striking “(10) Marihuana.”; and

(2) Striking “(17) Tetrahydrocannabinols, except for tetrahydrocannabinols in hemp (as defined in section 297A of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946).”.

SEC. 6. REINSTATEMENT OF SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS TO INDIVIDUALS CONVICTED OF NONVIOLENT DRUG OFFENSES.

Section 922 of title 18, United States Code, shall be amended by:

(1) Striking subsection (d)(3) and redesignating all subsequent provisions accordingly;

(2) Striking subsection (g)(3) and redesignating all subsequent provisions accordingly; and

(3) Striking subsection (s)(3)(B)(iii) and redesignating all subsequent provisions accordingly.

SEC. 7. REINSTATEMENT OF FEDERAL AND STATE BENEFITS TO CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS CONVICTED OF DRUG OFFENSES.

(a) Section 5301 of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 (21 USC § 862) shall be amended by:

(1) Striking subsection (b);

(2) Striking “and (b)” from subsection (c); and

(3) Redesignating subsections (c) through (h) as subsections (b) through (g), respectively.

(b) Section 115 of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (21 USC § 862a) shall be amended by striking “possession, use, or”.

SEC. 8. REPEAL OF THE CRACK-HOUSE STATUTE.

Section 416 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 USC § 856, as added by section 1841(a) of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 (Pub. L. 99-570), shall be struck.

S.Res.10: Resolution in Support of Small Business and Economic Growth - Agreeing to the Resolution

• Yeas - 3 Votes

• Nays - 7 Votes

• Abstains - 0 Votes

• No Votes - 0

The resolution is not adopted.

PN28: reagan0 of Dixie, to be Chief Justice of the United States. Vice SHOCKULAR, retired - Agreeing to the Nomination

• Yeas - 5 Votes

• Nays - 5 Votes

• Abstains - 0 Votes

• No Votes - 0

The Yeas are 5, the Nays are 5, the Senate being equally divided - the Vice President in this case would break the tie. Unfortunately as no Vice President is occupying the office - no tie can be broken. As such the nomination is not agreed to.

PN29: IcierHelicopter of Fremont, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Vice dewey-cheatem, resigned. - Agreeing to the Nomination

• Yeas - 9 Votes

• Nays - 0 Votes

• Abstains - 0 Votes

• No Votes - 1

The nominee is confirmed. Congratulations

#PROHIBITION ON PAID UNION ACTIVITY (RELEASE TIME) BY PUBLIC EMPLOYEES ACT

Written by /u/model-hjt on behalf of the Libertarian Party USA, and based on ALEC drafts of the same name.

###SECTION I. SHORT TITLE

This Act may be cited as the “Prohibition on Paid Union Activity (Release Time) by Public Employees Act”.

###SECTION II. PURPOSE

This Act prohibits “release time” - namely the established practice of paying employees in receipt of a public salary, for the time that they spend in recruitment activities for unions, as well as for the representation work they do for those unions.

###SECTION III. DEFINITIONS

(A) “Employment bargain” means a formal, or informal employment contract, deal, verbal, written or otherwise, regarding and understanding of wages, benefits, or terms and conditions of employment of any public employee.

(B) “Public employee” means any individual who is employed by a public employer.

(C) “Public employer” means any branch, department, division, office, agency or political subdivision of the state that has employees.

(D) “Union” means any association or organization, incorporated or unincorporated, that primarily exists to represent the interests of member employees in wages, benefits and terms and conditions of employment.

(E) “Union activities” means activities that are performed by a union, union members or representatives that relate to advocating the interests of member employees in wages, benefits, terms and conditions of employment or the enforcement, fulfilment or advancement of the union’s organizational purposes, obligations, external relations or internal policies and procedures.

###SECTION IV. PROHIBITION AGAINST COMPENSATION FOR PUBLIC EMPLOYEE UNION ACTIVITIES

(A) A public employer shall not, under any circumstances, enter into any employment bargain with any public employee, or any union, to compensate any public employee, or third party, for activities undertaken for, or on behalf of, a union or its associated activities. Any employment bargain that includes compensation to public employees, or third parties, for these union activities, is declared to be against the public policy of the State of Appalachia and is therefore declared void.

(B) This section does not, and will not, prohibit a public employee from receiving a compensated leave time for any personal purpose - except when such a leave time is knowingly taken or given to undertake or compensate for union activities.

(C) This section does not apply to any current and existing non-executory contracts in effect before the effective date of this section, but an existing contract will not be renewed should that contract still have any terms within it that conflict with this section.

(D) The attorney general of the state shall enforce this section. Any taxpayer of the jurisdiction in which a violation of this section occurs has standing in any court of record to bring a special action against any agent or agency of this state or its political subdivisions to remedy any violation of any provision of this section.

###SECTION VI. ENACTMENT

(1) EFFECTIVE DATE - Provisions of this Act are to go into effect immediately after passage

(2) SEVERABILITY - If any provision of this Act or an amendment made by this Act, or the application of a provision or amendment to any person or circumstance, is held to be invalid for any reason in any court of competent jurisdiction, the remainder of this Act and amendments made by this Act, and the application of the provisions and amendment to any other person or circumstance, shall not be affected.

122nd CONGRESS
1st Session

H. J. RES.

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to the repeal of the seventeenth article of amendment to the Constitution and the accountability of Senators to their States

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES

Mr. MyHouseIsOnFire (for himself) introduced the following joint resolution

JOINT RESOLUTION

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to the repeal of the seventeenth article of amendment to the Constitution and the accountability of Senators to their States

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled (two-thirds of each House concurring therein), That the following article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years after the date of its submission by the Congress:

“Article  —

“SECTION 1. The seventeenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed.

“SECTION 2. The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, chosen by the Legislature thereof, for six Years; and each Senator shall have one Vote. When vacancies happen in the representation of any State in the Senate, the executive authority of such State shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies: Provided, That the Legislature of any State may empower the executive thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct.

“SECTION 3. Whenever the Senate shall convene to vote on a bill, each Senator must follow the instructions on how to vote on the bill provided to him by the Legislature of his State by a resolution passed by the same or, if the Legislature is not in session at the time, provided to him by the executive authority thereof.

“SECTION 4. This amendment, with the exception of section 3, shall not be so construed as to affect the election or term of any Senator chosen before it becomes valid as part of the Constitution.”.

H.R.

To incorporate the provisions of the Constitution to the organized territories, to provide citizenship to nationals born in American Samoa or outside American Samoa to parents from American Samoa, to provide voting representation in the House of Representatives to the organized territories, and other purposes

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

FEBRUARY 20, 2023

Mr. Ninjjadragon (for himself), introduced the following bill; which was subsequently referred to the House of Representatives:

AN ACT

To incorporate the provisions of the Constitution to the inhabited Territories, to provide citizenship to nationals born in American Samoa or outside American Samoa to parents from American Samoa, to provide voting representation in the House of Representatives to the inhabited Territories, and other purposes

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE, ETC.

(a) This Act may be cited as the “Territorial Incorporation and Representation Act of 2023”.

(b) This Act shall come into effect thirty days upon its passing into law.

(c) If any provision of this Act is ruled unconstitutional or otherwise unenforceable, the rest of the Act shall pass into law.

SEC. 2. INCORPORATION OF THE CONSTITUTION AND MAINTENANCE OF TERRITORIAL LAWS.

(a) The Constitution, and all the laws of the United States, including laws carrying general appropriations, which are not locally inapplicable, shall have the same force and effect within the Territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the United States Virgin Islands, hereafter referred to collectively as the “inhabited Territories”, as elsewhere in the United States.

(b) The provisions of the organic laws of the inhabited Territories and the statutes of the inhabited Territories not repugnant to the Constitution and laws of the United States and the provisions of this Act shall remain in force.

(1) In this subsection, “organic law” refers to the statutes enacted by the Congress constituting an organized government for the inhabited Territories and the constitutions of American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Puerto Rico.

SEC. 3. CITIZENSHIP FOR NATIONALS FROM AMERICAN SAMOA.

Chapter 13 of title 48, United States Code, shall be amended by:

(a) Redesignating section 1661 as section 1662 and redesignating subsequent provisions accordingly; and

(b) Inserting section 1661 to read:

Ҥ1661. Citizenship for persons born in American Samoa and persons of American nationality and Samoan ancestry born outside of the United States and American Samoa.

“(a) All persons who were born in American Samoa on the nineteenth day of February, 1900, are hereby declared to be citizens of the United States and citizens of the Territory of American Samoa as of the date of the passing of the Territorial Incorporation and Representation Act of 2023.

“(b) All persons who were born in a nation or dependency to parents who were born in American Samoa and reside outside of the United States and American Samoa are hereby declared to be citizens of the United States and citizens of the Territory of American Samoa as of the date of the passing of the Territorial Incorporation and Representation Act of 2023.”

SEC. 4. VOTING REPRESENTATION FOR THE INHABITED TERRITORIES.

(a) Section 1 of the Act entitled “An Act to provide that the unincorporated territories of Guam and the Virgin Islands shall each be represented in Congress by a Delegate to the House of Representatives” (48 USC § 1711) shall be amended by striking “nonvoting”.

(b) Section 5 of such Act (48 USC § 1715) shall be amended by striking “: Provided, That the right to vote in committee shall be as provided by the Rules of the House of Representatives”.

(c) Section 1 of the Act entitled “An Act to provide that the Territory of American Samoa be represented in Congress by a nonvoting Delegate to the United States House of Representatives, and for other purposes” (48 USC § 1731) shall be amended by striking “nonvoting”.

(d) Section 5 of such Act (48 USC § 1735) shall be amended by striking “nonvoting”.

(e) Section 711 of the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 (48 USC § 1751) shall be amended by striking “nonvoting”.

(f) Section 715 of such Act (48 USC § 1755) shall be amended by striking “nonvoting”.

(g) Section 36 of the Act entitled “An Act to provide a civil government for Porto Rico, and for other purposes” (48 USC § 893) shall be amended by inserting after “He shall be allowed the franking privilege granted Members of Congress.” the following: “He shall be allowed to vote in an equal manner as Members of Congress.”

RESULTS

H.R. 87: Credit Score Use Reduction Act fails for lack of quorum with four members voting in the affirmative and eleven in the negative with one member present and one seat vacant. Eighteen members did not vote.

H.R. 124: Indian Land Acquisition Act of 2023 fails for lack of quorum with three members voting in the affirmative and nine in the negative with four members present and one seat vacant. Eighteen members did not vote.

H.R. 125: Authority Over Tribal Crimes Act fails for lack of quorum with one member voting in the affirmative and fifteen in the negative with one seat vacant. Eighteen members did not vote.