UPDATE: Sen. Gardner has made some threats in light of the attorney general's announcement.
Sen. Cory Gardner: "I will be putting today a hold on every single nomination from the Dept. of Justice until Attorney General Jeff Sessions lives up to the commitment that he made to me" on legalized marijuana in Colorado. https://t.co/NkJuIoh4fP pic.twitter.com/GSE8N85YoP
— ABC News (@ABC) January 4, 2018
***Original Post***
Lauretta reported on how Attorney General Jeff Sessions has rescinded an Obama-era policy that took a hands off approach to marijuana legalization in the states. The federal government would now be intervening.
That act is akin to Sessions going back on his word, Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) tweeted. Gardner's state of Colorado legalized marijuana for recreational purposes back in 2012.
I am prepared to take all steps necessary, including holding DOJ nominees, until the Attorney General lives up to the commitment he made to me prior to his confirmation.
— Cory Gardner (@SenCoryGardner) January 4, 2018
Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) offered a voice on the other side of the aisle speaking out against Sessions. California just legalized marijuana just this week.
AG Jeff Sessions apparently wants to take America back to the 1920s. Prohibition didn't work then and it will not work now. Congress needs to pass sensible laws to prevent a monumental waste of precious federal resources chasing Americans who use #cannabis. #thursdaythoughts https://t.co/GP3qPyKIve
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) January 4, 2018
Critics outside of Congress are also arguing that the Trump administration is going back on its promises.
“I wouldn’t interfere because I think that really is a local issue," then-presidential candidate Donald Trump said back in October 2015.
Sessions isn't exactly finding much support today. Two Republican lawmakers on the House Freedom Caucus, Reps. Mark Meadows (NC) and Jim Jordan (OH), are demanding he step down Thursday, but for a whole different reason. His handling of the investigation into Russian collusion is unacceptable, they wrote in a piece for the Washington Examiner.