The removal of Kevin McCarthy from the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives is likely to create challenges for the Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation (SAFER) Banking Act and other cannabis-related reforms should the Republicans’ prospective candidate take on the speakership.
On Wednesday, Republican lawmakers put forward Louisiana representative Steve Scalise, who has a track record of voting against cannabis initiatives, for the position.
Scalise needs to gain the support of at least 217 lawmakers in a House floor vote to secure the role of speaker. As of early Thursday afternoon, he remains short of the 217 votes needed.
The politician has twice voted against an earlier version of the SAFER Banking Act, the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act, which is currently making its way through the Senate in 2019 and 2021, and against the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act in 2022, according to a NORML analysis of his voting record.
However, he did vote in favor of The Medical Marijuana Research Act in 2022.
Should Scalise take over as House speaker and block the SAFER Banking Act, the proposal could still go ahead in another format, for example, as an amendment to another bill under consideration.
Contact the author at emily.jarvie@proactiveinvestors.com
Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @emilyjjarvie