Sen. Cory Gardner's keeping a promise he made to Attorney General Jeff Sessions back in January, when the Dept. of Justice decided to take a hard stance against marijuana.
Gardner said he'd block all nominees to the Department of Justice until Sessions backed down from a plan to let federal prosecutors go after states where pot is legal, and Sessions is not pleased.
While addressing the National Sheriffs' Association Monday, Sessions threw some shade at Gardner, without even using his name.
"Right now, we’re trying to confirm a number of important component heads at the Department of Justice. That includes a new head of our Criminal Division, our Civil Rights Division, and our National Security Division. These are critically important components—and outstanding nominees. Our nominee to lead the National Security Division was approved unanimously in committee. But because of one senator’s concerns over unrelated political issues—like legalizing marijuana—we can’t even get a vote.
I’m Attorney General of the United States. I don’t have the authority to say that something is legal when it is illegal—even if I wanted to. I cannot and will not pretend that a duly enacted law of this country—like the federal ban on marijuana—does not exist. Marijuana is illegal in the United States—even in Colorado, California, and everywhere else in America.
We need our nominees confirmed. Safety and security are just too important.
Gardner has said this is about a state's right to make its own laws. More than 55 percent of Colorado voted to legalize marijuana in 2012.
We reached out to Gardner's office, and a spokesman said Gardner "appreciates the positive conversations he continues to have with Department of Justice."
