Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Jul 23, 2025

Schumer says the Senate will act on marijuana legalization regardless of Biden's position

Schumer says the Senate will act on marijuana legalization regardless of Biden's position

"I want to make my arguments to him, as many other advocates will," Schumer told Politico. "But at some point we're going to move forward, period."

Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said in an interview with Politico that his caucus will advance with federal marijuana legalization, regardless of President Joe Biden's ultimate position on the issue.

Schumer, who first introduced a marijuana legalization bill in 2018, said in the interview that he was crafting new legislation with Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Ron Wyden of Oregon.

Biden, who has been less eager to fully push for federal legalization in the past and has recently drawn criticism for his administration instructing several staffers to resign or work remotely due to their past drug use, continues to "study" the issue, Schumer told the outlet.

"I want to make my arguments to him, as many other advocates will," Schumer said. "But at some point we're going to move forward, period."

This week, Schumer's home state legalized marijuana use among adults 21 years of age and older for the first time after years of legislative roadblocks.

He pointed to states that have long legalized marijuana as reasons to back a federal bill.

"The legalization of states worked out remarkably well," he said. "They were a great success. The parade of horribles never came about, and people got more freedom."

GOP Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has adamantly opposed marijuana legalization, but Schumer is pledging to work with Senate Republicans and wavering Democrats on the issue.

"What we want to do is first introduce our comprehensive bill, and then start sitting down with people who are not for this in both parties, and A) try to educate them, B) see what their objections are, and if they have some modifications that don't interfere with the main thrust of the bill," he said. "We'd certainly listen to some suggestions if that'll bring more people on board."

McConnell's influence over his GOP caucus may not be the biggest obstacle for federal legislation, though.

Biden has said in the past that there was not enough evidence to indicate whether marijuana was a gateway drug.

"It's a debate, and I want a lot more before I legalize it nationally," Biden said during a 2019 town hall event. "I want to make sure we know a lot more about the science behind it."

That same year, amid criticism over his past support of hardline 1990s-era drug laws, he said "no one should be in jail for marijuana use" and expressed that recreational marijuana use should be decriminalized, backing the rights of states to pursue decriminalization.

Last December, the House passed a bill legalizing marijuana at the federal level, the first time either chamber of Congress had voted on such a measure.

When asked about Biden potentially vetoing a legalization bill, Schumer said that the president is continuing to examine his stance surrounding the matter.

"Well, he said he'd like to see more information on the issue," he said. "I respect that. I certainly will have an ongoing conversation with him, and tell him how my views evolved. And hope that his will to."

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
×