September 2, 2005
Dear Mr. Rossi:
Thank you for contacting me to express your support for the legalization
of marijuana use. I appreciate hearing from you.
Federal law currently prohibits the cultivation and possession of
marijuana for any use, including medical reasons. The Supreme Court ruled
earlier this year that these federal prohibitions supersede state laws
that authorize the medical use of marijuana, including Nevada's.
Accordingly, patients who use marijuana for medical purposes can be
prosecuted under federal anti-drug laws, regardless of state laws that
allow the practice.
There is no legislation pending before Congress that would broadly
legalize marijuana for recreational use. However, Representative Barney
Frank (D-MA) has introduced a bill in the House of Representatives, the
States' Rights to Medical Marijuana Act (H.R. 2087), that would directly
allow individual states to regulate the medical use of marijuana. H.R.
2087 is under review in the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
Additionally, the House considered related legislation (H. Amdt. 272 to
H.R. 2862) on June 15, 2005 to prohibit federal funds to be used to
prevent 9 states, including Nevada, from implementing their state laws
authorizing the use of medical marijuana. This amendment failed by a vote
of 161-264.
I noted your support for the broad legalization of marijuana. Should
pertinent legislation be considered in the full Senate, please be assured
that I will keep your views in mind.
Again, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with me. I
look forward to hearing from you in the near future.
My best wishes to you.
October 17, 2005
Dear Mr. Rossi:
Thank you for contacting me regarding the nomination of John Roberts to
the United States Supreme Court. I appreciate hearing from you.
One of the most important constitutional obligations I have as a senator
is to scrutinize the President's nominees to the federal judiciary. The
stakes for the American people could not be higher.
I believe the Senate should only vote to confirm a nominee to a lifetime
seat on the Supreme Court if we are absolutely positive that the nominee
will protect constitutional rights and freedoms of all Americans. The
question of whether John Roberts should be confirmed was very close for
me. I resolved my doubts in favor of Nevadans, whose rights would be in
jeopardy if he turned out to be the wrong person for the job.
While I like Judge Roberts and respect his legal skills, I was concerned
by memos he prepared as a young lawyer in the Reagan Administration which
raise questions about the nominee's approach to civil rights. These memos
lead me to question whether he truly appreciated the history of the civil
rights struggle. Judge Roberts wrote about discrimination as an abstract
concept, not as a flesh and blood reality for countless of his fellow
citizens. The memos raised a real question for me whether their author
would breathe life into the Equal Protection Clause and the landmark civil
rights statutes that often come before the Supreme Court.
I was disappointed that Judge Roberts failed to repudiate these memos in
his testimony before the Judiciary Committee. In this and other respects,
the nominee failed to answer questions in a full and forthright manner.
I was also concerned by the refusal of the Bush Administration to release
certain documents which Judge Roberts prepared as Deputy Solicitor General
in President George H.W. Bush's Administration. The Senate has a right to
all relevant materials in considering the nomination of a man who will
serve as Chief Justice for many years.
I reluctantly concluded that this nominee had not satisfied the high
burden that would justify my voting for his confirmation based on the
current record. When his nomination was considered by the Senate, I voted
no. Nonetheless, the full Senate voted to confirm Judge Roberts by a vote
of 78 - 22 on September 29, 2005. Judge Roberts was sworn in as Chief
Justice the same day.
October 21, 2005
Dear Mr. Rossi:
Thank you for contacting me regarding Iraq pre-war intelligence. I
appreciate hearing from you.
On May 2, 2005, a British newspaper published a secret July 2002 memo
relating to pre-war intelligence. Representative John Conyers (D-MI) has
circulated a "Dear Colleague" letter signed by over 88 members of the
House of Representatives. Rep. Conyers is encouraging an investigation
into the accuracy of the memo, and intelligence gathering before the Iraq
war. I am closely monitoring this situation, and should intelligence
reform legislation come before consideration of the full Senate, you may
be certain that I will keep your concerns in mind.
Again, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with me. For
more information about my work for Nevada, my role in the United States
Senate Leadership, or to subscribe to regular e-mail updates on the issues
that interest you, please visit my Web site at http://reid.senate.gov. I
look forward to hearing from you in the near future.
October 28, 2005
Dear Mr. Rossi:
Thank you for contacting me to share your thoughts regarding the estate
tax. I appreciate hearing from you.
As you know, the estate tax is imposed on estates in excess of $1.5
million per individual and $3 million per couple. Over the next few
years, the exemption levels will increase to $3.5 million per individual
and $7 million per couple as a result of the Economic Growth and Tax
Reconciliation Act of 2001. In 2010, there will be no estate tax. After
2010, however, the estate tax will be reinstated at the exemption levels
and tax rates that were in place prior to 2001.
The President has proposed permanently extending repeal of the estate tax
beyond 2010. Permanent repeal of the estate tax will increase the federal
deficit by $1 trillion over the first ten years that it is fully
effective. At a time when the federal government is running record
deficits, this loss of funding would undermine efforts to address the
needs of every American. In addition, we must ensure that we fully fund
the recovery of the Gulf Coast and care for victims of Hurricane Katrina
before we consider tax cuts of this magnitude.
I support reforming the estate tax by establishing a consistent set of
rules on which families can rely. I recognize that the current state of
the law is untenable and makes estate planning difficult, if not
impossible. Senators are currently negotiating on a bipartisan compromise
measure to keep the higher exemption rates established by the 2001 tax
cuts, while providing relief to the overwhelming majority of small
businesses and family farms. Please be assured that I will keep your
thoughts in mind as these negotiations continue.
Again, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with me. For
more information about my work for Nevada, my role in the United States
Senate Leadership, or to subscribe to regular e-mail updates on the issues
that interest you, please visit my Web site at http://reid.senate.gov. I
look forward to hearing from you in the near future.
October 30, 2005
Dear Mr. Rossi:
Thank you for contacting me to express your support for impeaching
President Bush and other administration officials. I appreciate hearing
from you.
As you may know, the impeachment process provides a mechanism for the
removal of the President, Vice President and other federal civil officers
found to have engaged in "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and
misdemeanors." The Constitution places the responsibility and authority of
determining whether to impeach and to draft articles of impeachment in the
hands of the House of Representatives. The House has not drafted any
articles of impeachment against President Bush and I am not aware of any
intention for it to do so.
Again, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with me. For
more information about my work for Nevada, my role in the United States
Senate Leadership, or to subscribe to regular e-mail updates on the issues
that interest you, please visit my Web site at http://reid.senate.gov. I
look forward to hearing from you in the near future.
November 9, 2005
Dear Mr. Rossi:
Thank you for contacting me to express your support for eliminating the
National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign. I appreciate hearing your
thoughts on this subject.
As you may know, the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign is run by
the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). Since its inception
in 1998, ONDCP has spent more than $1 billion dollars on multi-media
advertising and public communications. As you note, the results of this
advertising are questionable. Legislation (H.R. 2829) has been introduced
to reauthorize the ONDCP. It is currently being considered by the House
Subcommittee on Health.
In the Fiscal Year 2006 Appropriations bill for the Transportation,
Treasury, and Housing and Urban Development Departments, the Senate
recommended $95 million for the Media Campaign, a decrease from last
year's funding level of $120 million. A joint House-Senate conference
committee is currently working out differences between the versions of
this bill, so this amount is subject to change.
Please be assured that I am committed both to reducing drug use among
America's youth and to ensuring that tax dollars are spent in effective
and efficient ways. Should I have the opportunity to consider the ONDCP
reauthorization, or other measures relating to the National Youth
Anti-Drug Media Campaign, I will keep your views in mind.
Again, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with me. For
more information about my work for Nevada, my role in the United States
Senate Leadership, or to subscribe to regular e-mail updates on the issues
that interest you, please visit my Web site at http://reid.senate.gov. I
look forward to hearing from you in the near future.
November 10, 2005
Dear Mr. Rossi:
Thank you for contacting me about the need for election reform. I agree
with you, and I appreciate hearing from you.
A fundamental premise of democracy is that every vote is counted. The
2000 and 2004 presidential elections revealed that it is more important
than ever to ensure that elections are issued in a fair and standardized
manner.
I believe that one important step in this process is to ensure that there
is a verified paper voter record in order to maintain voter confidence.
For this reason, I cosponsored the Voting Integrity and Verification Act
(S. 330) introduced by Senator John Ensign on February 9, 2005. This bill
would clarify Congressional intent with respect to the permanent paper
record and voter verification provisions of the Help America Vote Act
(HAVA) of 2002. Each voting machine used for federal elections will be
required to produce a voter verified permanent paper record.
In addition, I cosponsored the Democracy Begins at Home Act (S. 17)
introduced by Senator Chris Dodd on January 24, 2005. This legislation
would require states to have an early voting period of up to fifteen days
prior to a federal election to enable more voters to have access to the
polls. S. 17 would also establish a commission to investigate making
election day into a national federal holiday.
I noted your support for H.R. 550, the Voter Confidence and Increased
Accountability Act introduced by Representative Rush Holt (D-NJ). H.R.
550 would amend the Help America Vote Act to require a verified paper
record of voting. This legislation also allows the Elections Assistance
Commission to conduct random hand counts of voter verified paper trails at
polling places. Currently, H.R. 550 has been referred to the House
Administration Committee. Should I have the opportunity to consider this
legislation in the Senate, you may be certain that I will keep your strong
support in mind.
In the 2004 election, Nevada was the only state in the union to have the
electronic voting system in place statewide. Additionally, there was also
high voter turnout in Nevada as a result of its early voting initiative.
I am pleased with the success Nevada experienced during this election, and
I am hopeful that in the future, all states will be able to implement
similar procedures to increase the efficiency and accuracy of voting
nationwide.
Please be assured that election reform is a priority for me in the 109th
Congress. I look forward to working with my colleagues to find fair and
effective ways to encourage voter participation, and ensure that every
vote is counted.
Again, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with me. For
more information about my work for Nevada, my role in the United States
Senate Leadership, or to subscribe to regular e-mail updates on the issues
that interest you, please visit my Web site at http://reid.senate.gov. I
look forward to hearing from you in the near future.
November 15, 2005
Dear Mr. Rossi:
Thank you for contacting me to express your concerns about the federal
government's budget priorities. I appreciated hearing from you.
Earlier this year, Congress approved a budget resolution calling for cuts
of at least $35 billion over five years to mandatory spending, while
providing $70 billion in tax breaks. Many of these spending cuts are
likely to adversely affect Americans with the greatest needs, while many
of the tax breaks would benefit special interests and the elite few. In
my view, these are the wrong priorities for our nation and America can do
better. That is why I strongly opposed the budget resolution and will
continue to oppose the priorities that it established.
It is clear that Congress faces difficult choices in the aftermath of
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Early estimates indicate that federal
spending to aid disaster victims could top $200 billion, leading some
members of Congress to discuss proposals to pay for disaster relief.
Although eliminating wasteful spending should be a priority, I believe
that we should not finance the vital and necessary hurricane relief and
reconstruction efforts by cutting important programs on which hurricane
survivors and other vulnerable Americans rely.
As we move forward in the relief and rebuilding process, please be
assured that I will work to find effective solutions that are both
compassionate towards disaster victims and fiscally responsible.
Again, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with me. I
look forward to hearing from you in the near future.
My best wishes to you.
Sincerely,
HARRY REID
United States Senator
