David Catania Storms Office of Andy Harris to Talk D.C. Pot Decriminalization
Posted at 11:54 a.m. June 27
Tensions ran a little high in Rep. Andy Harris’ office on Friday morning when D.C. Councilmember and mayoral hopeful David Catania showed up demanding to talk about the Maryland Republican’s attempt to halt the District’s marijuana decriminalization legislation.
Like most members of Congress, Harris was absent from Capitol Hill — back home in his district, according to deputy chief of staff Chris Meekins. Harris’ scheduler and chief of staff were also absent when Catania came calling shortly after 8:30 a.m., Meekins said.
“I’m here to address what has become a congressional pastime, which is interfering in the local affairs of the District of Columbia,” said Catania, who is campaigning as an independent for the November election. He told reporters, who were tipped off by a Thursday evening press release, that he would be in the Longworth House Office Building to ask “candidly” to talk about Harris’ stated concerns about substance abuse problems and treatment.
Catania, left, requested a meeting with Harris through his staffer Chris Meekins, right. (Hannah Hess/CQ Roll Call)
Harris has pointed to high rates of drug use among D.C. residents and pot’s harmful effect on children, among other arguments, to explain his rationale for proposing the appropriations bill amendment that prohibits D.C. from spending funds on enforcement laws to legalize or decriminalize pot.
“Since the congressman is so concerned about substance abuse and treatment — do you all happen to have his record on actually seeking resources for substance abuse and treatment nationally?” Catania pressed Meekins and the other staffers huddled in the reception area of Harris’ office.
“Well, what I know is that the congressman is actually a medical physician that has spent decades working in these type of fields,” Meekins responded, before Catania cut in to ask for details on his record as an appropriator.
“We are a relatively new member of the Appropriations Committee,” Meekins acknowledged in reference to his boss, who was elected to Congress in 2010 and is the only Republican member of Maryland’s congressional delegation.
Harris’ office wrote the early morning visit off as “just another mayoral campaign prop,” in a statement distributed to reporters that criticized Catania’s candidacy.
“Passing marijuana decriminalization bills for teenagers is not the way to lower D.C.’s shamefully high rate of drug abuse among teenagers — and certainly not the way to create a job skill environment to deal with skyrocketing teen unemployment in the District, especially among minority youth,” Harris said in the statement.
Meekins told Catania, who has been a member of the D.C. Council for 17 years, that he could request a meeting with the congressman via email “or submit stuff through the official website like anyone else does.”
“Why don’t we wait here while you place a call to the congressman?” Catania suggested. He also asked: “Did the congressman meet with any elected leadership of the District of Columbia before he offered this amendment?”
Harris confirmed his intention to introduce the amendment during Wednesday’s markup of the spending bill that includes D.C.’s local budget to CQ Roll Call on Tuesday afternoon.
“I’d have to check on his schedule on that,” Meekins said. “I don’t believe any requested.”
Officials in the D.C. attorney general’s office have been closely scrutinizing the measure since it was approved by the committee on a 28-21 vote. The Washington Post reported that District lawyers are exploring whether Harris might have actually moved to, in effect, legalize marijuana possession instead of outlawing decriminalization.
Harris said in a statement to CQ Roll Call that he is “confident the intent of Congress is clear.”
Meanwhile, Catania and other elected officials remain confident that the amendment will not survive a conference in the Democrat-controlled Senate or be signed by President Barack Obama. The decriminalization law, which will reduce possession of small amounts of marijuana from a criminal offense to a $25 civil citation, is likely to pass a 60-day congressional in mid-to-late July.
There was a brief moment of levity near the end of the terse eight-minute standoff when a young man wearing a congressional ID badge opened the door and Catania asked, ”Are you his chief of staff?”
“I wish,” replied the staffer, who was quickly identified as one of Harris’ summer interns.
There was a round of laughter.
“What’s the likelihood we’ll get the meeting?” Catania asked before exiting the office.
Meekins told him that he’d “have to check, have to run it through the normal channels.”
Related stories:
House GOP Moves to Kill ‘Poorly Done’ D.C. Marijuana Decriminalization Law
Andy Harris Ready to Treat ‘D.C. and Maryland Differently’ on Marijuana Policy
Senator: Protect Gun Rights of Medical Marijuana Users
Advocates Fired Up as D.C. Marijuana Decriminalization Avoids Appropriations Rider
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Replies
The representatives are protected from the citizens.
Is it wrong or inconsistent with OAS' core principles to think that the actual citizens of DC should be the ones to decide this matter, via the officials they elected to represent them; as opposed to the Federal government?
Andy Harris is neither a DC resident nor was he elected by them.
When it's my tax dollars and Maryland's tax dollars to fund the DC apparatus, then you bet I should have a say and Congress should weigh in..........thank you Andy
Not exactly sure where you're going with that, Colonel. I hope you're not suggesting that money can or should trump the principles of representative government found in our Constitution.
But okay, let's go with your comment: if cost to the taxpayers (as opposed to Federal overreach) is your overriding concern, then I submit that the "DC apparatus" could save American taxpayers (those who don't live in DC, that is) quite a bit of money by not pursuing, arresting, convicting and repeatedly locking up all those non-violent pot smokers. And decriminalizing it will virtually eliminate the violent crime associated with buying and selling it.
In oblique fashion, you bring up a valid point: in the perfect, Constitutionally-run America OAS strives to restore, the rest of the country wouldn't even be funding DC's government in the first place. Why not approach the problem from that angle? And why isn't Andy Harris doing so -- didn't he sign an oath to that effect?
I don't smoke marijuana; neither do I smoke tobacco, nor do I drink alcohol. I don't advocate for or against, nor do I want my tax money going to the Federal government to regulate such things. Why? Well, aside from the fact they can waste absolutely billions of dollars doing so, the REAL reason (one any OAS member, and you as the OAS Leader can appreciate) is because they don't have the authority.
Where exactly in the eleven specifically enumerated powers found in our Constitution is the Federal government's power to do so listed?
>>> MESSAGE TO COL . HARRY RILEY , COL . LAWRENCE SELLIN , GEN , PAUL VALLELY AND ALL THE FLAG OFFICERS FIRED BY THE FRAUDULENT , TREASONOUS , LYING COMMUNIST mu-slime WHICH ILLEGALLY " OCCUPIES " OUR CAPITOL AND WHITEHOUSE .
THE TIME HAS COME FOR A 2nd AMERICAN REVOLUTION AND MILITARY TAKEOVER OF THE ADMINISTRATION OF AMERICA . " WE THE PEOPLE " HAVE TRIED EVERY OTHER METHOD TO RESTORE THE RULE OF LAW , OUR CONSTITUTION AND OUR REPUBLIC . WE DEMAND TO HAVE AN HONEST , LOYAL , FAIR & CONSTITUTIONAL LEADERSHIP TO PROPERLY REPRESENT US IN CONGRESS , THE SUPREME COURT AND THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH , AND " WE " WILL ONCE AGAIN BE THE GOVERNMENT .
BEST TO CONFRONT THEM face to face when they are home,,,Marijuana is a filthy, unhealthy substance, not near
me or the violator gets hurt...
TAPP, you are correct...
J. Smith, not to be concerned, I have the power to regulate potheads....