WASHINGTON, D.C. - The impeachment inquiry was not the only hit President Trump took last week, as the Senate voted 54-41 to block the February national emergency declaration that would allocate money to the southern border wall.
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Senate votes to block Trump’s border emergency declaration
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The impeachment inquiry was not the only hit President Trump took last week, as the Senate voted 54-41 to block the February national emergency declaration that would allocate money to the southern border wall.
While 11 Republican senators voted to block the declaration along with Democratic senators, Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) and Inhofe voted against blocking the emergency declaration. Five senators did not vote on the resolution.
“Over the past six months, we’ve seen how the emergency declaration and the President’s partnership with Mexico have had a positive impact and reduced border crossings, but the crisis isn’t over,” said Inhofe in a statement. “We need to build the wall and secure the border.”
The Senate voted to block this same emergency declaration back in February, with 12 Republican senators voting alongside Democrats. However, the House was previously unable to override the president’s veto.
House members split votes on marijuana banking bill
Last week, House members from Oklahoma split their votes on the SAFE Banking Act, a bill that would allow cannabis-related businesses in states where marijuana has been legalized to work with federally-insured banks.
Horn, who spoke about her support for this bill during the Oklahoma State Chamber Fly-In earlier this month, voted to pass the act, alongside Cole and Hern.
Both Lucas and Rep. Mark-wayne Mullin (R-OK) voted against the bill.
“We are having people carry around large sums of cash, and that poses a threat,” said Horn at the fly-in. “That also means that we can track that money and make sure that the tax dollars are going where they should be going.”
There are 33 states that have laws legalizing some type of cannabis, either medically or recreationally.
The SAFE Banking Act passed in the House 321-103, and it will now move to the Senate for a vote.
Former Oklahoma police officer testifies at hearing regarding gun laws
The House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on Wednesday regarding a possible ban on assault weapons, a topic that has been prominent following several deadly mass shootings in recent months.
Dianna Muller, an Oklahoma native who formerly served with the Tulsa Police Department, testified at the hearing, voicing her opposition of an assault-weapons ban.
“Please don’t legislate the 150 million people just like me into being criminals, because it has happened,” said Muller, referring to the federal ban on bump stocks that went into place in March. “I was a bump stock owner, and I had to make the decision: Do I become a felon or do I comply?”
Muller continued by saying, if a ban on assault weapons were to go into place, she would not comply.
When asked about the need to own an AR-15, Muller compared guns to shoes, say- ing, just as you have different shoes for different occasions, each of her firearms serves a different purpose.
Rep. Ted Deutch (D-FL), a member of the House Judiciary Committee, gave an emotional speech during the hearing about the victims of mass shootings and the need for change.
“Every one of those who were killed at Stoneman Douglas will never be older than the age they were killed,” said Deutch. “I understand the importance of the Second Amendment, but how a witness can sit here and compare weapons to shoes is just beyond me.”
This was the first time Congress has held a hearing on assault-style weapons in 20 years.
Gaylord News is a reporting project of the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Oklahoma.